Onward & Upward

Last year, I made some very important adjustments to my real life "friends list". After evaluating the quality of some of the people I spent a great deal of time and energy on, I realized that I was spending too much time at the shallow end of the friend pool (and I was beginning to buy into the shallow stuff!). It seemed that even some of my "good" friends had ZERO concept of loyalty (or honesty for that matter)!
A wonderful friend at church challenged me to dump the bad friends and to be open to new friends -- to look for deeper people. So, I took R's challenge head on! I "dumped" a few people and headed to the deep end. I allowed time to meet new people. I was open to new friends - friends I had never really thought about before!! So, just when I thought this dumpy little town had NO one but slackers who lie and are mean to others, and who fend off mommy and daddy for everything, God allowed me to get some new friends! I am so thankful that I was willing to be open to Him and a to change of pace!
Now, no friend is perfect. I am most certainly NEVER going to be perfect. But I am willing to work at a friendship if you are! And I WILL be loyal!
So, I have new friends and I keep connecting with "old and deep" ones --- like Julie, who has had my back since second grade! =)
When we stop wasting time on toxic people, we have time to better ourselves and can invest time in others.
I am thankful I "deleted" some friends. I am thankful I could care less about what someone makes up about me just because they are so unhappy in their own world. I am thankful I am really, really really happy in my life, with my relationships and with my situations. I hope to continue to grow, mature and become a better friend. And, of course, when I do inevitably run into former friends, I can honestly smile, say "hi!" and then go on my way, glad I do not have to worry about them doing the same thing again!

Onward and Upward!!!

C.S. Lewis - always an inspiration!