The real opportunities in life

Life isn't too simple in gemmak's-ville right now, it's one of those times when you kind of assume you're living through this bit just so you can appreciate the good bits, well that's the best theory I can come up with but maybe for the first time in my life rather than merely moan and winge about my troubles I am realising that these 'less than ideal' times in life are an opportunity to learn and to maybe grow a little. An opportunity to see inside, to try and understand better what motivates and shapes us and to understand better, life from the point of view of others.

We go through life just 'living' for the main, we are so absorbed with our day to day lives, the routine, the myriad things we have to do and to fit into our busy days we barely have time to step back and really see what counts, what matters....and what matters isn't the big house, the impressive shiny car on the drive, the salary to die for....ok, so those things are nice but they come at a high cost to other aspects of ourselves and our lives and for me the cost isn't worth the gain.

What matters are the apparently smaller but in reality much larger things, the things that touch our soul, not our egos, kindness, caring and understanding, taking time to really listen to someone else, really hear what they say, taking time to notice the sunshine, to feel the rain to reach out and not remain locked in our own little sphere of reality, oblivious to what is outside of it, too busy to really see.

And friends, in difficult times the old adage 'you know who your friends are' becomes patently clear, those that are fair weather friends have rapidly 'done the off' in the less than perfect times of our lives but these are the moments when we have the opportunity to discover those people around us that are truly our friends, those that will be there no matter what. Friends that will let us ramble on about our troubles regardless of the fact they would sometimes prefer to beat us over the head for our stupidities, those that take the time to ask if we are 'OK' and to listen or see beyond the polite 'yes thank you' response we trot out as a matter of habit and course.....those that accept us for the person we really are, not the public veneer others see....those that care without judging but are strong enough to kick ass if we need it.

So things might not be utterly hunky dory in gemmak's-ville these last few weeks but in a contrary way I am richer for it, for I am lucky I have those friends, some of them people I never expected to be such an important part of my life but who have hung in there with me despite everything, they know who they are and I hope they know just how much I appreciate that they tolerate having me in their lives.

I thank you.