It's November. Each year, I typically have this dual feeling about going into the holiday season, and this year is similar, though the feeling is a bit different.
You see, growing up, family gatherings were fairly small. Including me, mom, dad and sometimes brother. The immediate family was never very close to any of the extended family, so Thanksgiving and Christmas were basically days I'd see family I pretty much saw all the time.
Family gatherings are still fairly small, and I tend to use the holiday season as time to recharge and spend some much needed time relaxing and doing fun things. I enjoy this time because I can catch up on reading, not worry about class, spend time with the dog, sleep, binge watch TV shows, etc.
But on the other hand, the holidays make me feel lonely. I like to call it the Bridget Jones syndrome. It's not that people go out of their way or try to make you feel bad because you're single, it just is. Luckily, I think my parents stopped asking about marriage/kids a long time ago. And while I enjoy being single, I have also found that I miss having someone other than my dog to come home to. Of course when I think of this, I do know that the person I come home to will have to be the right person.
So, I continue on in the path of life and handling things as they come along. I know that things will fall into place and that in many ways, they already have.
In the meantime, holiday season has commenced and it will include multiple viewings of Love Actually and Bridget Jones' Diary and a lot of catch up on movies, TV and books. Along with plenty of gatherings, I have no doubt. Oh, and I can't forget food!
Monday, November 18, 2013
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Friendship is not a checklist
Work for a cause,
Not applause.
Live life to express,
Not to impress.
Don't strive to make your presence noticed,
Just make your absence felt.
This past weekend, some things have gone on that made me reassess some people in my life. It's hard. At this point, what I need are people that are positive. I was finding that there were some people that had great positive qualities, but the negatives just outweighed that, causing stress and drama all around.
So I finally cut the string. I refuse to feel guilty about it. It felt like nothing I ever did would be good enough for this person. It stressed me out.
Which got me to thinking about friends and the things we do for them. I've seen a couple of instances the last year or so in which a "friend" holds something over the head of another. And not just anything, but BIG things. And the last time I checked, friendship wasn't supposed to be a checklist. Yes, friends do things for their friends. There's no question about it. But it's not a game of who has marked more items off the checklist or "I did this for you so now you should worship me/do this for me/love me".
We do things for our friends because it's the right thing to do, NOT because we want brownie points. I encourage others not because I'm expecting a thank you or anything, but because someone was there to encourage me.
The minute we try to be a hero is the minute we end up not being one. It's the times you provide a comforting shoulder, let someone know you're thinking of them, have their back or just listen without expecting anything in return that make people heroes.
Over the past year I've learned that I need to live life on my own terms and forget what other people think I'm supposed to be doing. I strive to be the best ME that I can be, and I wholeheartedly recommend others do the same.
I challenge you to take a few minutes every day to do provide an act of kindness - to someone you know, someone you don't...it doesn't matter. Spread your positivity to others - it'll come back tenfold in the end.
Not applause.
Live life to express,
Not to impress.
Don't strive to make your presence noticed,
Just make your absence felt.
This past weekend, some things have gone on that made me reassess some people in my life. It's hard. At this point, what I need are people that are positive. I was finding that there were some people that had great positive qualities, but the negatives just outweighed that, causing stress and drama all around.
So I finally cut the string. I refuse to feel guilty about it. It felt like nothing I ever did would be good enough for this person. It stressed me out.
Which got me to thinking about friends and the things we do for them. I've seen a couple of instances the last year or so in which a "friend" holds something over the head of another. And not just anything, but BIG things. And the last time I checked, friendship wasn't supposed to be a checklist. Yes, friends do things for their friends. There's no question about it. But it's not a game of who has marked more items off the checklist or "I did this for you so now you should worship me/do this for me/love me".
We do things for our friends because it's the right thing to do, NOT because we want brownie points. I encourage others not because I'm expecting a thank you or anything, but because someone was there to encourage me.
The minute we try to be a hero is the minute we end up not being one. It's the times you provide a comforting shoulder, let someone know you're thinking of them, have their back or just listen without expecting anything in return that make people heroes.
Over the past year I've learned that I need to live life on my own terms and forget what other people think I'm supposed to be doing. I strive to be the best ME that I can be, and I wholeheartedly recommend others do the same.
I challenge you to take a few minutes every day to do provide an act of kindness - to someone you know, someone you don't...it doesn't matter. Spread your positivity to others - it'll come back tenfold in the end.
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