#1 - or, WHAT am i doing here?

I have this best friend, we've been friends for more than 20 years. I sometimes seriously believe she is my soul mate - not in the hokey hollywood love story sense, but in the chosen family sense - when we met at the age of 6 or so, we were instantly friends - and I think we knew then, even at such a young age, that we would be life-long friends...regardless of whether that notion is true or not, I do know that God saw fit to put us in each other's lives for a very specific reason. And through every season of life that I've been through so far, Kricket has been there - playing in the woods and getting lost for hours as kids, boyfriends, breakups, marriages, divorces, deaths, births, sicknesses in our families - everything. If you don't have a friend like that in your life, let me highly recommend it to you right now. Anyway, she's sort of the reason that I even had the idea to start this adventure in blogging...she has told me time and time again about how journaling and writing out her feelings helped her through some difficult times in her life. I love to write, but hate hand cramps - and it seems I always end up with one before I've really gotten into the weeds of anything I write - so here I am - ultimately risking carpal tunnel to have somewhere to vent. But, I digress...

In the last year, Kricket said something to me - on more than one occasion, I might add - that has really stuck with me. I can't remember the circumstances, but she honest to God told me: "You tend to shoot straight from the hip. I know when I ask you something, or ask you for your opinion, I know I'm going to get the truth from you. And I really like that and respect that about you." I was incredibly honored, and humbled at the same time. I've always tried to tell people the truth - sometimes it's easy, sometimes not. Sometimes I'd really rather lie than say something true in a particular situation, but - I truly strive to be honest. I guess it's just part of the golden rule with me - I don't like to feel like I'm being lied to - and so I try my hardest not to lie to others. But shortly after that, Kricket told me one day that I had - and I quote: "A Tic-Tac Heart." Seriously? What does that even mean?, I asked. I probably shouldn't have, but I did. "It means you know, you have a heart - it's just a small one. Like the size of a tic tac." Hmm. Not the most encouraging words ever. I'd like to think that she has this little opinion because I am honest and say what I think and how I feel and sometimes that comes off in a way that can seem a little heartless. But, to me, because I care so much about people, and especially those that are the closest to me, that's why I choose to be so honest with them. That's why. Right? Anyone??

 

So here I am, posting my first blog entry on what hopefully will be a little bit of a healing experience, and an opportunity to set the record straight on who I am, and how I operate. I probably won't always be witty, I won't always have something profound to say, I won't always be nice, I won't always have good days, and sometimes I'll probably use this platform to vent about something that I'm not happy about. But, I do promise that I'll always live up to what my best friend says about me - I will always be honest, I'll shoot from the hip, and if there's any questions left at the end, I'll always

be open to answering them.

And so, thanks for wanting to be a part of this with me. I hope that through this, I can learn something from everyone I cross paths with - in the blogging world, and in life. And to my best friend, Kricket: Thank You...for your unwavering support, your guidance, your laughs, your tears, and most of all - your friendship. It hasn't always been easy, and I'm sure our lives will be full of eggs always, but I simply can't imagine going through it all without you. So, thank you. And I'm looking forward to lots more memories to be made.