reunited on a wrist and in our hearts…

This is a wonderful story that got lost in the 2012 Christmas holidays. January followed and was a period of recovery from the chaos that begins with Thanksgiving and ends on New Year Day. But now, as Valentines Day is approaching, my friends have been on my mind. One friend in particular…she is my “Bo” – there’s another story behind that nickname but I will save that for another time.

In November, while I was in Athens, GA I received a last minute invite to a gathering of friends for pizza, wine and laughter. Who could resist! I was in the car in minutes and on my way to be with some of my favorite gal pals. Once there, conversation was fueled by wine and as we laughed and talked our gestures became more animated. I caught a glimpse of a friend’s wrist as she was showing another friend a photo. She had a stack of bracelets on it – not too unlike the photo above. Upon closer examination I noticed that they were a blend of mine and someone elses. That someone else proved to be my former business partner, Amy.

Amy and I started a jewelry business together about 4 years ago but when I moved she kept that business and I started my own. In fact, the name For Giving Works is dedicated to her and was a gesture, on my part, of how much faith I had in our friendship. But with distance between us – about 3 hours – we lost touch. Years past with no contact. I know, it’s sad. There is no excuse for it.

Amy messaged me through FB late one evening and I was both shocked and thrilled to see her message in my inbox. I wrote her an epistle in response. She got up during the night (she later confessed this to me) to see if I had written back. A lengthy and much loved epistle followed from her and I drank in every word. It was so nice to reconnect with her and we agreed to get together the next time that I was in Athens. And so I WAS in Athens – and here I was at another friends house and there was Amy and I – reunited on our mutual friend’s wrist. This had tremendous symbolism for me as the bracelets looked so right together – comfortble – each nestled alongside the other. And it was a “God wink” as Amy and I were planning to have lunch together the following day! A coincidence that I should see these on the evening before? I think not…

She and I had a 2 1/2 hour lunch and caught up on 3 years of triumphs, challenges, worries, jokes, family and so much else. It was wonderful and I can still see her sitting across from me in my mind’s eye – wearing her green coat and smiling at me – a smile that I had missed so very much. I told her about seeing the bracelets on our friends arm the night before and she loved it…agreeing that it was, indeed, a sign that we were supposed to reconnect. I adore it when the universe sends me a message….

February is a month for cherishing friends and family. It’s a good month – it’s the month that screams red and wonderful. This year I think I will make Amy my Valentine – I know my husband won’t mind! He is as fond of her as I am. So Amy….if you are reading this you are my chosen one – my Valentine – for the year 2013. I do love you…you will always be my “Bo”. Yes, you will….

and she lived happily ever after….

“You look really happy and I can tell. You really are happy”. These words were spoken to me at about 9:35 am this morning by someone who knows – who really knows because they can spot fraudulent or “pretend” happiness. Can’t tell you who said it – sorry – but I can tell you that it meant a great deal to me to hear these words from this person.

I felt like I had graduated from a very difficult curriculum at the university of how to be happy. If only I could get these words printed on a diploma…I would frame it in the most extravagant way and hang it just above my desk – a daily reminder that I have mastered the course.

And a difficult course it has been….I have been working on being happy with myself for about 5 years now. Prior to this handful of years I suffered from a serious case of the “what is wrong with me” and the “why am I not happy” mindsets. I just got so tired of it that I had to seek assistance beyond what I could provide for myself. I found help of all sorts and in abundance! I owe a big thank you to my friends and family, For Giving Works, great blogs, all of you who are reading this, good “how to” books AND especially my husband who likes me “just as I am”……he allows me to drive him crazy with my beads, dogs, peanut butter cravings and the general chaos that comes from living with a creative person that has no discipline whatsoever.

I used to think that happiness would come from an outside source but it does not – it has to come from within. I waited around far too long for it to drop into my lap. It just doesn’t work that way. Happiness is derived from an appreciation of all that we have in this moment – this very moment. With all of our flaws and personality quirks we must learn to be happy with who we are and stop wishing we were like someone else. One of my favorite quotes is “Be yourself – everyone else is taken”. I should have payed more attention to this.

And so today I am especially happy for I have been told that I am, indeed, “happy”. I had been suspicious that perhaps I was for a few months but I needed for someone else to recognize it and tell me that it is my truth – my diploma – my reward for working so hard to find it.