Hey Soul Sister

It is said that people are brought into your life for a reason or a season. This really rings true for me, especially over the last 10 or so years. At least that’s when I really began to notice. As you get older, the quality vs. quantity mentality starts to become blatantly obvious. You care a helluva lot less about what people may or may not think of you. The old saying “Those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter” becomes a mantra. And really, what business is it of yours what other people think of you anyway?

As I think back, I’ve had the amazing blessing to meet some incredible people. And I can honestly say that each interaction has taught me something that has been instrumental in making me who I am today. The experiences were a mix of positive and life teachings, but with each person whose path crossed my own, I was able to either add a person to my eclectic collection or take a learning in who I am and what I stand for. I am a very proud work-in-progress, always learning, always growing.

You know those people you that you meet and you’re instantly attracted to them (and I don’t mean in a sexy sort of way). There’s just something in each of you that connects. They’re rare and incredibly special and should be treasured. And people like this generally fall into the “reason” and “quality” categories.

I have volunteered some of time over the last couple years to a pretty fab organization here in my home city that still flies low under the radar. They put on a live theatre production geared towards children during the holiday season. You have the chance to perhaps live out a dream or cross something off the ol’ bucket list and you get to do something pretty spectacular for a few thousand wonderful kids in the process. But more on that later because it’ll take more than a paragraph in a post meant for something else.

This past year has brought someone into my life and it feels like there has been a spot waiting for her all along. She’s definitely a soul sister for me and I can for sure see us being old and crazy together.

She’s the kind of girl that will do anything for the people she loves. She wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s kind and quiet, until you hurt her. Then it’s game time. She’s fiercely loyal with a smile that could melt glaciers. She is the epitome of what being a friend means.

We grew very close over 2014 and I can’t help but adore her. I wish for even a second that she could see herself the way I see her because she doesn’t give herself near the credit she rightly deserves, but maybe that’s part of her charm. I wish she could see the true beauty she possesses, the whip sharp sense of humor, the eyes that sparkle when she talks about something that she loves. I wish that she could understand even a fraction of what she’s worth. I wish that all the people in other parts of her life would appreciate her the way she’s meant to be appreciated.

She’s had some rough times over the past year when people have tried to chip away at what makes her so fantastic because they didn’t feel good about themselves. Isn’t that the crappy truth of it all? With “season” people, they’ll do their damnedest to bring you down to their level so they can feel better about who and where they are. Not her. She talked me down off the proverbial ledge more than a couple of times this year. She helped me to see the big picture of what I was trying to do, helped me look outside of the immediate situation. And I helped mend her heart when she was mistreated. This girl is a keeper.

It’s funny how when you try to have a conversation with someone about this kind of stuff, they always downplay it. I understand modesty and all that, but I think nowadays people generally think it’s egotistical if someone truly understands and knows their self worth. Personally I don’t think it needs to be that way. People should be raised up for being fabulous and doing fabulous things. And it should be okay to let someone celebrate that!

Cherish and love the the people in your life that deserve it. For the ones that don’t, love them for where they’re at and be ok with letting them go. They probably aren’t meant to be there anyways.