Bless our soul friends...

I have been thinking a lot about friends lately, particularly our oldest friends who are with us through thick and thin, the ones who you may not get to see often but when you do catch up its as if time has stood still and you just continue on from where you left off.

As we get older you begin to count those friends on one hand mostly others are aquaintances but not real true friends who you love with your soul - I call these friends 'soul friends.' I believe these souls have an agreement with us before we step into this world that they will be right beside us for the journey, sharing the ups and downs, never judging, always supporting and forever keeping us laughing and holding us up when things are not going well.

As I write this, my husband's best friend is very ill. We went to visit him last week and spent time with him and his beautiful wife who are facing the unimaginable pain of a diagnosis with no cure. Our hearts are breaking watching our beautiful friends struggling with this cruel twist of fate. This news has hit us hard and made me so aware that moving to a less stressed environment at this stage of our lives was not only the best thing we could have done for our own health but one I know I will be so grateful for as the years begin to fall behind us. This week has also reminded me abruptly to live life to the fullest, not have any regrets, and dream large by working towards everything you want to do because our time here is limited and our tomorrow is never guaranteed.

We walk on this earth surrounded by many people who we learn lessons from and whom we teach something to others.  Sometimes we learn lessons from complete strangers or often we may be given a message just at the right time from someone we dont even know, someone who just crosses our path at the very moment we are needing some information they may have to share with us. These 'synchnonicity' moments of our lives are treasures which we sometimes only acknowledge much later after the fact.

I realised this week, that I learned something very special. Here is a man of dignity forever taking care of his family first and foremost. He has a heart of gold and even with this shock diagnosis and being so ill is still worrying about everyone else around him. He was not blaming anyone for what had happened to him, instead is trying to work out the best way to handle what had been dealt his way.

Its a very sad fact that we get too busy to pick up the phone and say to our closest - 'just thinking of you', or 'just want you to know how much you mean to me'.  Or to save a weekend in our busy lives and plan a few days with those who you regard as your soul friends and really spend some quality time with them.  Fortunately we did that not so long ago, and will forever regard that weekend as an incredibly special one.

I had a crazy moment of madness recently reenroling into a degree I have half finished thinking that it will help me further my job options down here.  Yes it will, but at what cost? When I remember the years I was studying plus working plus being the emotional centre of our family of which is a timely occupation in itself, I had no time to pick up a magazine, go for a walk or take a long hot bath. My  life was work, study, essays, research, eating, sleeping, hurrying anyone who needed my attention for more than 10 minutes then collapsing into bed only to do it all again the next day.  When I threw those books away I felt energized and free and began to do things that I loved such as reading, going out with my hubby for breakfast and basically living again.  Looking back this week and remembering this I realise that I had forgotten to believe and trust that we did not come down here for me to have to keep commuting longterm.  My job is out there, I just need to be patient for it to reveal itself to me.  I have always managed to get good jobs without that degree and will again.
 
I need now to remember all the promises I made to myself about this relocation, to slow down and smell the roses. I need to remind myself that I collapsed not so long ago in the midst of an anxiety attack brought on by stress. Never again am I going to allow myself to get so stressed I end up in hospital. Soon the weather will be warmer to begin my vegie garden and start visiting the markets and getting out and about with Bill & Matt visiting our peaceful surrounds...

 Now that I am not living with my beautiful daughter I have made her a pledge that we will go away one weekend a year, just the two of us beginning next year.  I will start saving a small amount for this event which I intend to become our annual Mum/Melly tradition  A tradition I know we will both cherish when we look back in years to come. I guess that is what I wish to convey in this post is to remind anyone reading this to take time to spend with those you love, take time to tell them how you feel. Begin to make small steps towards any of your goals or dreams you think you would like to do one day - If you had promised yourself at the beginning of this year to get something done or do something different the year is now more than half done - begin tomorrow!

Today I took time out to visit one of my 'soul friends' a very special friend who has been in my life since I was four years old.  We have been there for each other through the decades, not always living close by but my relocation has bought us back to living less than 15 mins away and now I can drop in for a quick cuppa, laugh and catchup just like we have never been apart.

Tonight as I think about our dear special friends, know that you have made a difference being in our lives and we are most grateful for that. I hope one day to be able to pass that on, that someone will say the same of me, that I made a big difference in their lives. ...and as you struggle through this most painful time, I pray you will find the strength you need & know that we are there for you anyway we can be ...

“Once in a lifetime, you’ll find a friend who touches not only your Heart, but your Soul.”