Photo Credit: Karla Sullivan Photography (Nicole Bauman)
It has been a while since I've made a
post, and I apologize. I have had some craziness happening in my life that has
kept me busy but also given me visions I never expected I'd be having at this
point, but they are! And it is a great experience to go through, as we are all
always growing into bigger, better people (I hope).
As a reflection of some things that have happened
in my life recently and given me new insight, I want to share some inspiring
moments that others have shared with me and that have made me look at myself,
my life, my past experiences and how I want my future experiences to
unfold.
I have always let faith be a part of my
life and always strived to have #faith in everything that happens or has
happened in my life. What I didn't realize is how unconnected you can become
because of the negativity others bring into your life. I've had friends come
into my life and pass on by because of one simple thing, life. We grow and
our values change. Our wants and needs sometimes become blurry.
Life is full of experiences; good, bad,
fun, boring, adventurous... those experiences are what make our story worth
sharing from generation to generation. In recent months, I have experienced
heartbreak, majority caused by people I thought were so close to me. People I
never thought would betray my trust when I told them something I expected to
stay between us. I'm no perfect human. I have made mistakes also. I will own
up. It is what is right. Going through these situations are what has made us
stronger and re-opened our eyes to what really matters to us. Re-opened our
eyes to what we value in life. What we value in friendships. What we value in
marriage. My values are what form my closest friendships. We share many of the
same values. Of course I have friends that don't share some of the same values,
and that is okay too.
The lifelong friendships I have formed are
created on a non-judgmental foundation. To be loved like a sister even though
we are not sisters is one of the best feelings in the world. I have an older
brother and a younger sister, so I never thought I would feel the love of a
sibling from a friend. But, I have! And I am honored to be the same sibling
figure to others. To feel un-judged even when you know they don't agree with
some of your hobbies, habits, thoughts, etc. They still love you for you. They
still want you to be so actively in their life; to be their sole-sister, to cry
on each other’s shoulder, to share the best days of each other’s life, to share
the worst days of each other’s life, to be a true friend for life.
I have judged and have grown to know how
terrible it feels to be judged. I will be judged and continue to be judged. I
will not change who I am to satisfy other people's ideal "friend" but
I will change who I let affect me. I know now more than ever that I cannot make
everyone happy. I cannot be everyone's ideal friend because everyone has a different
perspective on "ideal". Why is there judgement? Why can we not be
friends with everyone without judging their clothing, their job, their car, their
house, their hobbies, their habits, their lifestyle...? Why do we hate?
Believing in forgiveness is another one of
those feelings; the best feelings. I say ‘best feelings’ a lot because those
things feel so good. Knowing we all sin and can move on is a piece of the
puzzle many cannot find a place for. No sin is greater than another. Believe in
yourself. Forgive those who have left you in the dark, feeling terrible. You do
not have to involve them in your everyday life. You do not need to be friends
with them. Just simply forgive. You will feel the burden crumble off your
shoulders as you learn to forgive those people you were hurt by in some way,
shape or form.
To all my friends, you are loved! Don't
judge others, we are all struggling with something. Be yourself. Love yourself!
Love your family. Love your friends. Respect your elders. Live life freely.
Don't regret, but instead learn. Life is full of mistakes, heartache, laughter,
love, friendships... make your story worth sharing for many generations to
come. #peace
