I had a conversation with my mom recently about having friends. I have a friend who is 20 years older than me. I am good friends with someone who is also 7 years younger than me. I feel like there is this stigma that we have to date someone older than us if we are women and younger than us if we are men. That our friends or our peers are classified as people who are in our age group.
Up until I started working with this friend of mine, I didn't even realize how broad friendships are. My mom told me, you can't judge someone that way, that friends come in so many different ways. Hence the Genius of our Father in Heaven. I feel bad in many ways that I had shut my mind to being friends with people are a lot older or younger than me, but as I have gotten older I have found that this diverse range we have the opportunity to experience is special.
Friends aren't only based on age, we talk about a few other places- Size, Gender, Religion, Age. These are all things I think people use to determine who they become friends with. With this thought in mind, I kind of looks at how my friends are in my life.
My Best Friend is literally a foot shorter than me, younger than me, but is probably far more dedicated to her goals than I ever will be.
A Very Good Friend who is like a sister to me is 2 Years older than me and 9 Inches Shorter than me and lives states away from me.
One of my favorite people on earth is 20+ Older than me- Who I literally text and laugh with constantly and enjoy her company.
A Couple of Good Guy Friends I have are Shorter than me and sometimes their humor is a little out there, but I consider them to be a couple of my best guy friends!
I am good friends with a kid who is 7 Years younger than me and I enjoy having game nights with him and his family.
I have friends I go to for advice who are younger than me and I have gone on dates with men who aren't as tall as me, I am not perfect. That's for sure, but I have found that this Diversity of People in my life. Is a blessing.
Friendship is a funny thing. I have friends from so many different places in life. Friends with people who have children and friends with people are in many ways children. I have friends who are single, friends who are dating someone or married. I have friends who are gay, friends with mental illness' and friends who just struggle. I have had friends who are not religious and I have had friends who are absolutely dedicated to the Gospel. I know and have friends who drink and do drugs and have friends who won't even talk about those subjects.
The point is, the diversity in my life has helped me to grow. For me, knowing who I am and knowing where I am going helps me keep in line so I can be a positive influence and not take in negative influences. I am proud of the people I call friends. And am blessed for those who consider me to be.
While it is a strange situation to some people. It is my life and I consider myself to be absolutely blessed because of it. I have learned that a friend is not a specific classification, or someone of a certain age or gender or religion. A friend to me is someone I enjoy my time with and who I love and care about, because at the end of the day.
That's where my blessings of people have come from. The Diversity.
Alyssa
Monday, March 31, 2014
Saturday, March 1, 2014
And Her Strength. . . .
Recently, I have had the opportunity to do a variety of things. I have gotten to go spend some time with my best friend in Ephraim and catch up with some old friends. I got to talk to a sister of mine on the phone for the first time in months, I got the blessing of receiving a niece who I love more than life itself. I have gotten many opportunities in school to pursue my education and opportunities to get out and to know people, just in general and to hopefully make a difference in someones life.
Now, I can't say for sure whether or not i have actively affected someones life, but I can tell you about someone who has affected mine. I believe in all my heart and soul that we (in my religious and personal beliefs.) Were sent to Earth to Help each other. I have let myself be more than willing to absorb the rescources of other people, but sometimes I lack the ability to, show others that I appreciate them. I believe that, before I came to earth, I knew I would face Trials, but God told me that if I held strong, everything would be okay. He would send me angels to help me get from place to place.
I have been blessed to have many Angels, but I have been rather ungrateful.I have let myself be fairly pessimistic and moreso than that, I have had my close friends telling me, to focus on the positive and I was and have been super unwilling too and I find myself doing that a lot, where I, face a trial and let myself be pitiful and I let myself believe I deserve to be pitiful and get sympathy. Which is CRAP. Now, in a conversation with someone recently, she was telling me some of her trials. Now, this specific individual, I have not always shared the same love and compassion, and care for her that others in my life do or have.
I met her a couple of years ago, through some mutual people in my life. I don't know all the details of her life, but I will say this, when it comes to trials, she knows first hand, the pain and sacrifice it takes to keep going. A couple of years ago, she was facing life the best she could, when her closest friends committed suicide. In the same month. Before her trials being faced with drugs, alcohol and in a way almost neglective support, her parents divorced at young age and she has had to hold herself up.
After her friends Passed away, she attempted suicide on her own term of decision making. Later, she spent time in the hospital and battled the day to day life of living with her choices and the choices of those around her. She has had to make her own way and her own standing in situations that most people have others in their lives to supply for. Recently, the same support system who hadn't provided well, got even deeper when her Father Passed away. She faced a lot of pain and today, she still faces that same pain. Those same frustrations and the same Trials that most people, may never have to endure or bare.
I want to tell you something about this person. She is phenomenal. I have never seen a stronger person walk this earth who - in I know personally. I spend so much time wallowing in my sorrow of having to pay for a ripped textbook or my parents not giving what I want. And she stands and smiles. I see her laugh and I see her brush things off like it's no big deal. Sure she has cried and sure she has hurt, but she doesn't stop. She fights, she works, when something bad happens, she takes it, and she goes. "Okay, time to keep going."Everything she has, she worked for, Everything she knows, she learned on her own. She is amazing.
Despite the person she is, I had never really wanted to see this person for the beauty she is. In fact I spent a lot of time, complaining how anytime something bad happens to me, she one ups it with a harder trial. And I think in a way many of us will do this. Shame on us, Shame on me. When we have these angels in our lives who walk in and BLESS US. This girl. . this Woman. . This Angel. Came into my life and absolutely changed it. She changed the dynamics of how I judge, how I love and how I accept. To see another person so beautifully. . . is a challenge. . . But if you look you will see them. She is the light of many people, and as far as I am concerned.
She is an angel walking the earth- Blessing those around her and for me. . .most importantly. . Blessing me and I can only pray that i become half the person she is someday. Because that would be a gift only God could give me.
Alyssa
Now, I can't say for sure whether or not i have actively affected someones life, but I can tell you about someone who has affected mine. I believe in all my heart and soul that we (in my religious and personal beliefs.) Were sent to Earth to Help each other. I have let myself be more than willing to absorb the rescources of other people, but sometimes I lack the ability to, show others that I appreciate them. I believe that, before I came to earth, I knew I would face Trials, but God told me that if I held strong, everything would be okay. He would send me angels to help me get from place to place.
I have been blessed to have many Angels, but I have been rather ungrateful.I have let myself be fairly pessimistic and moreso than that, I have had my close friends telling me, to focus on the positive and I was and have been super unwilling too and I find myself doing that a lot, where I, face a trial and let myself be pitiful and I let myself believe I deserve to be pitiful and get sympathy. Which is CRAP. Now, in a conversation with someone recently, she was telling me some of her trials. Now, this specific individual, I have not always shared the same love and compassion, and care for her that others in my life do or have.
I met her a couple of years ago, through some mutual people in my life. I don't know all the details of her life, but I will say this, when it comes to trials, she knows first hand, the pain and sacrifice it takes to keep going. A couple of years ago, she was facing life the best she could, when her closest friends committed suicide. In the same month. Before her trials being faced with drugs, alcohol and in a way almost neglective support, her parents divorced at young age and she has had to hold herself up.
After her friends Passed away, she attempted suicide on her own term of decision making. Later, she spent time in the hospital and battled the day to day life of living with her choices and the choices of those around her. She has had to make her own way and her own standing in situations that most people have others in their lives to supply for. Recently, the same support system who hadn't provided well, got even deeper when her Father Passed away. She faced a lot of pain and today, she still faces that same pain. Those same frustrations and the same Trials that most people, may never have to endure or bare.
I want to tell you something about this person. She is phenomenal. I have never seen a stronger person walk this earth who - in I know personally. I spend so much time wallowing in my sorrow of having to pay for a ripped textbook or my parents not giving what I want. And she stands and smiles. I see her laugh and I see her brush things off like it's no big deal. Sure she has cried and sure she has hurt, but she doesn't stop. She fights, she works, when something bad happens, she takes it, and she goes. "Okay, time to keep going."Everything she has, she worked for, Everything she knows, she learned on her own. She is amazing.
Despite the person she is, I had never really wanted to see this person for the beauty she is. In fact I spent a lot of time, complaining how anytime something bad happens to me, she one ups it with a harder trial. And I think in a way many of us will do this. Shame on us, Shame on me. When we have these angels in our lives who walk in and BLESS US. This girl. . this Woman. . This Angel. Came into my life and absolutely changed it. She changed the dynamics of how I judge, how I love and how I accept. To see another person so beautifully. . . is a challenge. . . But if you look you will see them. She is the light of many people, and as far as I am concerned.
She is an angel walking the earth- Blessing those around her and for me. . .most importantly. . Blessing me and I can only pray that i become half the person she is someday. Because that would be a gift only God could give me.
Alyssa
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)