Exhaustion & Appreciation

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I am absolutely wiped.  It’s been hell week.  For a number or reasons.  Sometimes, you have to take a step back and accept a bad day or a bad week for what it is, and just try and laugh.  The stress on my back is the highest it’s ever been, and yet, I sit cuddled under a favorite green quilt on my bed with an odd smile on my face, and genuine appreciation in my heart.  I feel that as a society, we don’t remember to say our thanks and appreciation for those we know and love often enough.  So I’m taking a stand, and this post, is to honor some of the people that come to the forefront of my mind after such a crazy week.  Of course, I’m using nicknames for them all… but they’ll know it’s them.  These are people who I love dearly and often don’t think to thank them for their presence in my life.  Some of the people I’m honoring don’t read this blog, so they may never really know how I feel, but to the ones who do.  Know that I love you. 

T – Wow, what a whirlwind of a day today.  I’m so grateful to have you in my life and I love you very much.  I’m proud of you for today.  I know how hard it is to face conflict head on.  You and I are a lot alike in many ways.  We both actively avoid conflict or drama, preferring the route of the ostrich (sticking your head in the sand).  Thank you for being brave enough to communicate with me, to share with me what you were thinking and feeling.  I can’t tell you what that means to me.  I cherish and honor you most of all with this post.  I meant what I said today when I said that you have many people who love and care about you, who root for you to succeed in all that you do.  We’re here for you, whenever you need us.  Don’t let anyone bring you down, especially not when you’re doing so well.  F them.  Shine brighter instead.  I’m sorry that you got to see my temper shine through today.  It’s not something I pride myself on and truly, will continue to berate myself over it for a bit, as I truly don’t believe in unleashing fury at people.  This little aries has a mouth, and uses it when I deem necessary.  I felt it was necessary, in defending you. I hope that you can somehow find a bit of pride in that.  It shows how much I truly care.  I will not stand and listen to someone treat you that way.  You deserve so much better than that.  Thank you, for all you do, and all you are.

R – I had such a good time with you yesterday.  You are truly an amazing, inspiring, wonderful friend.  I appreciate you so much.  You and I have had an odd blossom to a friendship.  I never would have guessed we’d become friends.  And here we are.  You deserve to be honored here.  We’ve laughed, and cried together.  We’ve judged and ranted together.  We’ve shared wine and got tipsy together.  You’ve even been kind enough to show me things I didn’t know (makeup lessons – I know how sad is it that at 32, I don’t have all the girly habits mastered).  Thank you for being you; and for allowing me to participate in your life and share mine with you.

L – My mentor, my friend, my sister.  How I’ve worried for you this week.  I’ve tossed and turned over it.  If only you read this blog, you’d know how much I love you.  How I want to see you lift your wings and take off.  You have been the person who’s inspired me to be great.  You’ve given me hope that women could be in leadership and succeed.  That you didn’t need a man to be successful, that with the right amount of work, and grace, and intelligence, a woman could lead the charge and take on the world by storm.  You care about people.  Deep down to the core.  You put on this mask of strength and grace, and over the years, have let me glimpse underneath.  The woman underneath is beautiful, strong, vulnerable, courageous, lonely, and truly amazing.  Thank you for being who you are.

P- My “bestie”.  How I adore you.  Thank you for being a cheery face this week.  Thank you for the morning coffee trips and the sanity checks.  Thank you for giving it to me straight the way you always do.  Thank you for helping me get out of my own head.  You know I love and adore you.  But thank you – for being a part of my life.  I don’t think my world would have half the brightness it does, if it didn’t involve you. 🙂

And to these last two… you both surprised me a bit this week by being there for me in different ways.  You aren’t my best friends, but you deserve to be honored and told how much I care about you and appreciate you in my life, because you’ve been there.  Our relationships are still on the newer side of things.

A – I enjoy our coffee breaks, talking about coworkers, broken cement tiles or the crazy things kids do.  I never expected for us to become friends, but I’m really happy that it somehow came about.  You’re someone I often reach out to for a bit of outsider’s advice, or just to rant about my day.  Whether you know it or not, I root for you to be happy and successful in all that you take on. I may not share it much, but I truly appreciate that you are in my life.

D – I don’t get to talk to you often enough, but when I do, you always lift the spirits.  I know that life gets in the way sometimes, that things happen and we all get extremely busy, but I do think of you, often.  Consider me your quiet cheerleader.  Rooting for you every step of the way.  Whether we stay in contact or not, I am truly grateful to have had you in my life.  I hope that we can continue to build on our relationship.

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