Celebrating Life...

OK. So those of you that know me well (or at all really) know that I'm not a "cheesy" person. Sure, I have my moments... we all do. But generally speaking, I'd much rather crack a stupid, inappropriate joke and make people laugh. But today is a day I just feel like celebrating the amazing people in my life. Some, I know, will be lifelong friends... some are people that although I see here and there, I know they won't be someone I call and talk to just for the hell of it... and some are people that I have changed me in ways that I will forever be grateful for.

First we have Steve. My dear, sweet Steve. I rarely talk about Steve here on the blog. Not on purpose. He just rarely comes up. LOL! But I truly wish everyone on this earth (OK... so the people I like anyway) could have a marriage like we do. I sooooo never believed in that "soul mate" crap, but if I DO have a soul mate, than Steve is it. We can finish each other's sentences, we know what the other is thinking, and most importantly, we're best friends. We are so comfortable with each other and secure with our relationship, that nothing phases us. I can (literally) count on one hand the number of big arguments we've had in the 10+ years we've known each other. He is my rock and I'd like to think that I'm his. He makes me laugh in ways almost no other human being can. We LIKE being with other and we know that together, we can conquer the world. People tell us on a regular basis that they admire us, wish their marriages were more like ours, and that they know we'll grow old together. Life doesn't get much better than that.

Next on the list are my June 2001 internet friends that I met on a Mommy board a loooong 7 years ago (and whom I've met on several occasions in person). God bless those women. They keep me grounded and keep me sane. They literally know more about me than anyone else on this earth. They make me laugh, they piss me off, they make me cry, and I know that no matter WHAT happens to me or what life throws at me, they will help me deal with it and I'll be OK. They are truly amazing human beings and I honestly can never repay them for the friendship and love and support they've given me over the past few years.

Then there are my real-life friends. My gosh, what would I do without them. I'll admit that pretty much ALL of my friends from high school were guys. I couldn't deal with that typical girly/diva/jealous/competition crap that came with friendships with girls. So I hung with the guys. Now granted, half of them were kind of geeky then (and still kind of are). But I'll tell you what... I could literally, to this very day, could call them at 3 AM on a weeknight and tell them I needed something, and I guarantee you, that within 10 minutes, they'd be here at my house helping me. They are amazing, amazing people. They helped make me who I am today. They are sweet, sensitive souls who are truly good people at heart. We are such a rare group in that many of us have been friends for over 30 years (and we're all around 35 years old). We've grown up together, and the  bond we share from watching each other do that is something that I think everyone should have, but most don't. We're just lucky I guess.

Then we have the random people I meet. Steve and I go out every Saturday night because the girls always sleep over at my parents' house. We tend to go to two (very) local bars. We've met so many other "regulars" that we've become good friends with. We only ever see them at the bars every week, and admittedly, most of them are MUCH older than us, and they're all guys. But I adore them. They are wonderful people who have those words of wisdom you often get from another generation if you just take the time to listen to them. They would stick up for us in a heartbeat, and again, I know I could call any of them for anything, and they would do what they could to help me. We have so much fun on Saturdays, and yet, it's mixed in with lots of "deep" conversations and discussions that allow all of us to vent, bitch, moan, offer advice, and just delight in the fact that there are still many good people out there.

So what brought all of this on for me and caused me to reflect on what an amazing life I have? It was something that may not have affected some people as much as it affected me. Yesterday, Steve checked the mail and I was surprised to see a package from a person I've never even met in person. She's an amazing person who I literally met through this blog. We've commented on each other's blogs for years, and emailed privately here and there. But we've never heard each other's voices or met in person. But I knew from the first few posts I read on her blog that if we DID live closer to each other, that we'd be the best of friends. She has an amazing, funny, kind-hearted soul and I only wish she was my next door neighbor. The package was a CD she had burned for me. No note was included. No explanation. No warning. Just a CD. I slid it into my CD player and an amazing feeling immediately washed over me.

Every single song (and there are 19 of them) were so "me" it was uncanny. How could this person who didn't really know me know what kind of music I would like? The songs are amazing and beautiful. Some are kind of funny, which also tells me she "knows" me. But most of them are wonderful, beautiful, emotionally-inspiring songs that I've played repeatedly since I first opened the package. They are those types of songs that you play over and over again just so you can learn the words because they are so beautiful and thought-provoking that you swear the singer is speaking to you personally.

The gift couldn't have come at a better time. So much is going on in my life right now. We're all still adjusting to me going back to work full-time... my nephew is doing well, but will still be in the hospital for at least another month... my grandfather has serious health issues right now, and I know it's just a matter of time before he's gone... Steve and I have discussed some serious things lately and we've made some decisions that I'm so excited about, and yet, have my head spinning at the same time.... I'm overwhelmed in so many ways, and when I received her package in the mail, it reminded me of what's important in life.

What's important are the people you surround yourself with. I've managed, somehow, to surround myself with amazing people. The love they've given me could never be repaid. And I truly mean that. Life is short. Life can throw you curves. Life will not always be exactly what you want it to be. But if you have the right people in your life, you'll know you can deal with it. It may suck along the way at times, but if you have the type of friends and family I do, you know you'll be OK. Somehow, in some way, you'll make it through and push on. Because those people will lift you up and offer you the strength you need to wake up another day.

So thank you, from the bottom of my heart, Tink, for reminding me of how blessed I am. Because I truly am blessed. I'm a VERY lucky person in so many ways. And I know, deep down in my heart, that no matter what life deals me, I'll be OK. And I have all of you to thank for that. Life is short. Surround yourself with the people that you know will help you through it. Laugh every day... love every day... and remind yourself every day of the things that are important. Tink helped me to do that, as do other people on a daily basis. I may bitch. I may moan. But at the end of the day, I can go to bed knowing that it will be OK. Because my friends wouldn't have it any other way.