It Takes a Village

To say that this past year was tough would be an understatement.  However, I am okay and for now, okay is good enough.  It's very good actually.

They say that in the face of adversity one's true colors are shown.  There have been so many people who have been there for me with both unconditional love and support and I am truly amazed by them.  I live hundreds of miles away from the people with whom I am closest with and for them to take away the loneliness and to make me feel as if they were standing right next to me is remarkable.

There have been many others with whom I have become closer with throughout these past months.  Sadly, I never realized before what they meant to me and how important and happy I am to have them in my life.

There have also been some people that seemed to have come out of nowhere.  New friends, who extended their love and friendship to me in such a warm way; I feel as though they have always been there.

I was having coffee with a girlfriend (one whom I have become closer with) earlier today and as we were talking I realized that a year ago, we probably wouldn't have been meeting for coffee.  Would I exchange all that has happened for a cup of coffee? Stupid question.  Life doesn't work that way.  But life does work best when you can adapt and make changes to help you move on.  I was always a person who only kept a few people close.  I can't do that anymore because I would be losing out on all of the other people who have enriched my life in their own special way.  

So what I have learned is that you need people.  The people that are worth keeping in your life are the ones that will walk beside you down any path with a hand held out in case you get lost, or fall down, or just to remind you that you are not alone.

If it takes a village to raise a child, then that child in us never truly grows up.