Lifelong friends

Once upon a time there were two little girls.  Their parents were the best of friends, so they had no choice except to be friends at birth.  Now- when I say since birth...I am NOT exaggerating! H was born in 1999, so when K came along in 2000 - she was there! They were together through the toddler years (the stage where H would hit K, and some days we would all wonder if they would end up hating each other), they were together all through elementary school, the awkward middle school years and every step along the way in high school. These two girls have been together for every major event in their life.  There have been divorces, deaths, births, heartbreaks, road trips, beach vacations. IKEA trips, concerts, jam sessions and our first visit to Denny's - you name it, and they have done it...TOGETHER! They are the true epitome of what friendship should be. Not only are they always only a phone call away - they are truly each other's biggest cheerleaders. There is not a jealous or competitive bone (at least not with each other) in their body. Put them on a team together, and they may hurt you trying to win. There have been countless FaceTime calls with tears of joy and happiness. There have been angry texts because one of them had their heart broken. There have been promposals, because seriously - who else would you take to prom besides your bestie?!? I'm pretty sure in their 18 years together - there has never been an argument between them. There are days that I am pretty sure they share a brain, and may quite possibly be the same person. 

And...one of my favorite parts of this sweet friendship - I have a bonus daughter (who I love like my own). And...extra bonus - she will feed me cheesecake while I'm driving on road trips!! If you have ever needed inspiration for what true friendship looks like - these two sweet hearts have it perfected! If you spend any time with them, you will fall in love with them and their love, loyalty and support for each other. They are the example of what every friendship should look like!

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up." Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10

My life...

Normally when I sit to down start writing, I have a specific purpose in mind...but, not tonight.  Tonight my brain is going in a million different directions, and so...here I am. First, let me start with if you have not read the book, "Girl, Wash Your Face" by Rachel Hollis - you MUST!!  I'm not talking about "oh hey, you should give this a try" - I'm talking about the book that is nothing short of life changing and will truly help you become a better version of yourself. 

Next...forgive always.  People are human.  They say things and do things that are not always correct, they are not always kind, and they can definitely be hurtful.  In spite of all of those things - forgive anyway!  You don't have to let them into your inner circle once you've been hurt - but, don't give up on them just yet.  You never know what someone else is going through and what their inner demons are, so when someone hurts you - FORGIVE!  What if Jesus had not forgiven us of our sins?  I know I would be in BIG trouble.  So, if Jesus can forgive me - I can forgive others.

Next...second chances.  My kids and close friends will tell you that I give more second chances than are necessary. But, let me tell you...very rarely have I ever regretted giving someone a second chance. Just because someone makes a mistake once, does not mean they are destined to make the same mistake over and over.  Don't give up on people, you never know when you giving them a second chance could make all the difference in their world. 

Next...choose joy every day!  When I think about joy... I think about the song I sang as a kid, "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart."  Joy is the long lasting feeling that comes from true happiness and is simply heart warming.

Lastly...my goal for the remainder of this year is to do find a vacation every day!  Yes...that means doing something every single day that is going to help me create a life that I do not need a vacation from. So...I am making a huge change and going to live on a houseboat!  Yes... some people will think I'm crazy, but I am SUPER excited!! When I told my mom I was considering this, her comment was, "I can't believe I birthed you."  Well..she did, and we are more alike than we care to think - I am definitely just a wee bit more adventurous than she is.  But...back to the boat. Honestly - please...just look at the view! Does it even get any better?? I think not!  So...for the remainder of the year (more so on March 1)... I will be finding a vacation every single day, and I would encourage everyone to do the exact same thing!