Happy Galentines Day?

Apparently, I was told that Monday was "Happy Galentines Day".  Whether that's legit or not, I won't get started on it.  Friendships, particularly female friendships, are so important!  I realized a couple of things about friendship this past week.

One realization was I had gotten a spa gift card from a wonderful client last year and I haven't made time for myself to use it yet.  But when I found out one of my best friends was coming to town, I decided that rather than spend the wad on myself, I'd have so much more fun going with my friend!  My husband was a little puzzled by this decision, but I told him it's so much more fun to feel spoiled when you do it with your friend and I'd rather have fun with my friend than feel responsible for making awkward conversation...  This little trip is now something I'm really looking forward to.  It's so much more fun to do things when you do them with others.

Another realization I had is that, those friends that you have who tell you the truth no matter what, could just be gifts from God getting you back in line.  I had been procrastinating a while about doing something, I wanted to be "perfect" before I did it and my friend just blatantly called, "well if you wait for that, it's never going to happen!  Why don't you go for it and hope you improve because of it."  The statement that she made a while back was validated by someone else and they were glad I had a friend to keep me from shirking away from potential.

Lastly ,was something that happened last week that I was really touched by.  It was something I didn't share last week because it was still a little raw.  A good friend and former client of mine called me when I was coming home from working a long way away.  She called because she came home to find her pet in the process of dying.  She called me because she needed a ride to get to the emergency center.  I found myself in a lot of traffic.  You know that type of traffic that is the worst its been all week because it's the one time you need it to be not so bad?  That was the traffic I was in.  I felt bad for my friend, bad for the pet, and bad for not being able to just fly over traffic.  As I tried to console her and talk her through ways to make her pet more comfortable, I tried to ask if there was someone closer to her who could give her a ride, and I would meet her at the ER.  She went through everyone she could come up with and I was the only possibility.  I was about a half hour away and it didn't sound like I would make it to her.

As I thought, and prayed for a way to console both my four-legged friend and her, I thought of another client/friend.  She lived close to this one.  They had never met, as far as I knew.  I live in an area that is fast-paced and transient, where many people don't know their neighbors and many people are too busy with their lives to help others in simple ways.  I thought, "Well, maybe I will give her a call, she lives nearby and I know she would not want a pet to suffer."  I hadn't talked to this friend in a while and here I am, calling her to go pick up a random woman and her dying pet.  She had no qualms, she was ready to go and ready to help.  Her generosity of heart and of friendship to me and a person she had never met really made me feel that the world is a smaller place and there are plenty of us who really do care about each other.  Unfortunately the pet did not make it, but there was definitely consolation that no one was alone and everyone tried their hardest.  Sometimes that type of love is the best we can do.  Sometimes that type of love runs deeper than the valentines cookies and candies and flowers that we get sold.  Friendship is one of the deepest loves and for that I am grateful.  Happy Valentines Day!