eighty seven

first of all-
happy thanksgiving!!!
yeah, i know its 1:00 am and therefore feels more like wednesday night than thursday morning, but nevertheless i felt the need to address the present holiday!

i've been reflecting on all of the things i'm grateful for in my life and i am just astounded at how richly my life has been blessed. there is truly not a single area of my life that i don't think has been fostered by the love and care of my heavenly father, and that is the greatest blessing of all. i have a darling family, parents that would do anything for me, the best friends in the world, the opportunity for a great education that will eventually enable me to help make a difference in the lives of those around me, a darling dog, an absolutely rewarding and enjoyable job, and more than just the necessities of material posessions in life. i am not by any means saying that life is perfect, but i am happy to give thanks for the fact that everything could be a WHOLE LOT worse!

i, for the most part, am an optimistic, joyful, and happy person. i know that a lot of that is due to the contentment i feel due to the blessings of interactions and support of friends in my life. i want them to know that each one of them really have made a difference in my life and that each example of generosity, love, and compassion has molded me day by day into the best person i know how to be. thank you thank you thank you!

as i continued to ponder (wow, that's such a CB word!) about these friendships that continue to enrich my life, i thought about what makes a relationship grow, what causes that shift between an aquaintance that casually walks into, then out of your life, and what cements those friendships into ones that you will truly cherish forever?

my conclusion is that it boils down to trust. trust of knowing you won't be judged, trusting that disappointment or anger won't be the result of your pure honesty, trust in the fact that they really are just looking out for you- no matter how bluntly it comes across. trust that they won't leave you, trust that regardless of your actions you will still be loved, trust that sharing painful pasts won't be construed into haunting ghosts in your future, and trust that once your walls come down that they will not take advantage of your vulnerability.

trust is an active process of seeking and building, and i think the gateway to that process is through the act of love. to love someone enough to listen to them, to spend time with them, to desire to know who they are inside, regardless of the facade they show to the world, and to truly accept them for who they are is to love them. no judgements, no grudges, no holding back.

so i guess what i'm thinking is that i want to really know YOU. i know that you're fun (or we probably wouldn't be friends and you probably wouldn't have my blog address!) but i want to know MORE about you, the REAL you.

so my loves, if you're down with it-
tell me:
-something personal about you that i may not already know
-something that worries or scares you
-where do you see yourself in ten years?
-realistically, where do you WANT to see yourself in ten years?
-who is a tv/movie character that you truly feel like describes you/your life/your relationships in the world
-is there any way you see to make our relationship better?

okay well i am going to try to get some sleep and snuggle up with my little rockstar!!
i love you all from the bottom of my heart!

ps...feel free to email me your answers if that's easier for you than posting them as a comment- lanagirl87@yahoo.com