Lifelong friends

There's something beautiful about leaving a place and coming back. I feel like most of us are guilty for getting caught up in a moment and not recognizing blessings when they are staring us straight in the face. That's what I can say about friends in Calgary. I had no idea what a blessing it is to have them until I left, lived in a place where I struggled to make friends and then returned where there's so much support. I am so grateful for the amazing women I know here and the way we have picked up right where we left off.

I spent today catching up with old friends and making new friends. The afternoon was filled with laughter and old memories while the evening was incredibly uplifting. I found myself being inspired by messages of hope, gratitude and encouragement that are sure to help me navigate this phase of life more steadily. I loved when one speaker said the phrase "no trial is ever lost." Those simple words felt like a load lifted from my mind, reminding me that there are better things ahead. Even if it doesn't feel like the blessings are coming, they are. 

We all need life long friends. I remember cuddling my stuffed animals as a little girl, telling myself no matter what that they would be my friends. Isla seems to feel similar every time she hugs her new friend Hazel the deer from Bla Bla Kids. Her bright, joyful face exemplifies how I am feeling as I crawl into bed too. Better than even my oldest stuffed animal are the friends I have and spent time with today. I should probably start squeezing them with the love Isla squeezes Hazel to make sure they know it. It is goooood to be gotten. It is goooood that it's the weekend!