Tag Archives: friends

happiness

Similar values

I spent some time today talking with a friend about values and how we wanted to live life. I love it when I can chat with someone who feels the same way I do about family and parenting and faith and such things. It’s rare and important. I mean, it’s also important to make sure there’s balance and I love having friends who see things differently and make me think about why I feel a certain way about something. But, sharing the same feelings about the big things is also important. It’s part of what drives me to keep with my tribe – knowing that there’s that group of people who have my back and I have theirs – we all share the same core values.

It brings me happiness remembering why it is I feel the way I do about family, parenting, and how to treat our neighbours.

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Every time you make a leap

I talk all the time about the importance of my tribe and I had a moment today where a girlfriend reminded me just how lucky I am to have these people in my life. I was overthinking and sorting out some things and she said:

I’ve got your back every time you make a leap. Whether you succeed or not, I don’t care and at least you’ll learn. I’m like your tiny cheerleading team.

Friends like this – this is what helps me keep my stuff together. I was talking to a lady tonight (who I am in the process of friending and bringing into the tribe – she’s awesome) and we were talking about how it takes a village to keep our lives together. She has a circle of girlfriends who help her as much as mine do me.

I am so grateful that I am back where I have my tribe – whether they are family or friends. Every time I make a leap someone’s got my back, and I’ve got theirs too. And that is happiness.

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Tea and talk

I met a girlfriend for tea and a visit this afternoon. When I get together with a good friend I always think of these two older ladies I saw one day when we were in Italy for my cousin’s wedding. Two ladies in their 80s were walking down the street arm in arm with their heads thrown back in laughter, and it was so easy to see that they were enjoying a great moment with each other. As I passed them I thought I need to make sure that as I get older I have girlfriends like this in my life. I’ve always valued my friends, but the older I get the more I understand just how important it is to have that close girl-tribe.

We laughed and shared stories today over our tea/coffee that made the man at the table behind us visible cringe – which of course made it that much funnier. If he ever really wanted some insight as to how two middle aged ladies talk he really got an earful today! I love these friends that you can just be so raw with, we were all over the place in our conversation – everything from divorce to death to children to dating to God – nothing is off limits and everything can be laughed about and put into perspective.

Thank God for my friends – this is happiness.

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Just be happy now

Just be happy now

Out of this will come the miracles you seek (The Key by Joe Vitale)

Once I realized hope was missing from my life, I’ve been focusing on bringing it back to the centre of my being. If I don’t have hope what is the point? I don’t mean that my life was hopeless and that I was deep in dark despair or the world was ending. I mean I had forgotten to keep hoping for better things, that the rainbow is coming, that I can dance in the storm –  I forgot to be happy now.

My life has been a series of miracles over the past two years. Sometimes in the day to day stuff that stresses me out I forget just how much God has provided for me. Slowly but surely I am getting everything I ever wanted and just because there are some blips along the way does not mean that if I keep hope, if I stay happy, if I am clear about what I want,  that these miracles won’t continue.

I spent a big part of the day today in quiet meditation, clearing my heart and mind and focusing on what I want. I said to my friend while we were standing on the beach the other day that maybe I need to make a list of exactly what I want in life so I am clear about where I want to be going – so that’s what I did. Amazingly, I already have a lot of the things I want, which gives me faith that the other things are possible as well.

I realized that even with daily stress stuff, divorce stress stuff, kid stress stuff, I can just be happy now. Because if not now – when?

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I’m glad I have a friend like that 

We finished off our Vancouver Island trip tonight with fish and chips by the water with my friend. They were perfect fish and chips, we watched an otter swimming around and shared stories while the kids played. 

When we were done we walked to her car and did our hugs goodbye. As she drove away I said to the kids I’m so glad I have a friend like that. And it’s true. Good friends are a real treasure and that is happiness. I’m thankful for my tribe. 

On our way to the airport we stopped and had one last goodbye moment at the ocean before heading back to what Alberta calls spring.  It has been a happy trip. 

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Meeting new friends

I hate meeting new people. It was one of the hardest things about our constant moving – that I had to make new friends over and over. It’s hard to establish that tribe. 

I made a new friend by accident this morning. It started with her saying I don’t know how you feel about God but…. and lead to us talking about everything from our spiritual beliefs to parenting to marriage to the difficulty of having curly hair. 

It was weird because we just opened up and shared some pretty personal things with each other – and I usually don’t do that. 

Happiness is a new and unexpected friend. 

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Friend time 

I had a coffee date with a dear friend of mine. I’m really understanding the older I get how important that tribe of girlfriends is. And I’m so lucky to be back here where I have friends who have known me forever. 

This friend and I have shared some of the same struggles and embraced a lot of the same growth over the last few years and it’s so nice to chat with someone who just gets what I’m going through – the good and the bad.  That is true happiness 

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Gummy worms

I spent the day with a horsey friend – I’ve known her since we were in our teens. So aside from being able to chat for hours about horses, we have really funny old memories that we share. 

When I picked her up she had a bag full of gummy worms, coke, dill pickle chips and cheese sandwiches – because that was our  staple lunch in our youth. Thank God we were so active – how did we ever eat like that?

I brought my sandwich home (you have  to crush the chips inside the sandwich) and gave it to the boy who at first was horrified but then declared it the best thing he’d eaten in ages. He said how do I not know this side of you mom??? Ummm because we can’t live on dill pickle chip and cheese sandwiches. 

It was fun to spend the day catching up on horse things and to laugh with a friend I’ve had since forever. Happiness – horse happiness. 

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Hippie chicks in the mountains 

Today I was treated to a morning in Canmore with a dear friend. We had business to do, but afterwards we had enough time to walk the streets and have lunch. How lucky am I to get to be in the mountains two days in a row? 

It was beautiful and clear and the only issue we had was being stuck in traffic 


Yep, we got stuck behind a zamboni while driving through town. If that doesn’t scream I’m in Canada, I don’t know what does. 

I treasure this friendship with this dear soul whose crazy lines up with my crazy. We have a lot of fun together, but we get each other on a really deep level and that’s pretty rare. It brings me happiness and gratitude. 

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Old town

I had an afternoon in town today that reminded me of how Cochrane used to be – you know, when going to town was a social event and you knew almost every person you came across.

I had tea with members of my tribe – soul sisters really. I don’t remember meeting them, they’ve just always been part of the extended family of loved ones. It is such a blessing to have these people who we can go years (in this case a year – it took us a year to get together again!) without seeing but when we get back together it’s like no time has passed. Well, except for the fact that we have to all talk like mad to catch each other up on what has happened. And the little time we had today was not nearly enough for that. Still, we laughed and shared in our precious time. That was happiness.

What a great thing  – to have a visit and to know that we have to do it again soon because there’s still so much more to share and laugh about (it’s a bonus that we all agreed that we have to be home in bed by 9 which seriously limits our social availability. I love that my people sleep). That will be more happiness.

On the way home I skidded into an old friend riding her horse down the road. I had an impromptu visit with her which came with the added bonus of her offering me a horse to ride, and a reminder of her offer to give riding lessons to Jenna. Horses… yay!!! Friends…… bigger yay! Bonus happiness.

I’m so grateful that we have this tribe of people around us. Sometimes life gets overwhelming and really difficult and I feel all alone, but then I look around and remember I’m surrounded by all of these amazing people.  I’ve learned that sometimes you need to walk away and sometimes you need to stand strong and fight your battles. I’m thankful that I don’t have to do it alone.

 

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