I've been thinking on this topic quite a bit recently. It amazes me how the friendships a person has can effect their lives in different ways. Since taking a new approach to how I view my life, it has astonished me how little patience I now have for pessimism. Sure I have days where I slip, but I still pick myself up and remind myself of the promise I made to myself. I remind myself of my goal to be grateful for the opportunities that present themselves; to be mindful that not everything will happen straightaway, but will happen if it's meant to. I also remind myself to be present in the moment so that I am able to grab onto these moments and hold them tight. But I'm wondering off topic here, sort of.
Sunday I was lucky enough to be in the presence of some wonderful friends. We chatted, got to know each other a little better, whilst eating sushi and dessert slices (mmmm food), while the kids ran amok outside and our husbands chatted somewhere in the garden. I was exhausted after everyone had left for the evening, but for the first in a long time it wasn't an emotional exhaustion, quite the opposite. I was running on fully charged emotionally speaking. These three women and their husbands had gifted me with an emotional recharge. They left me feeling as if I could take on the world, knowing I could face the dramas I know are to come in the future. Wow, what a bunch of extraordinary people.
Having moved around a lot as a child and teenager it has been difficult to make friends and keep them. There were the interstate moves in South Africa, and the international move to Australia. You lose touch no matter how hard you try to keep up with old friends, they move on with their lives and you move on with yours. There is nothing wrong with it, it's simply life. Yet there are times where you will meet that one person or persons who will have such a profound impact on your life that it is impossible to ever forget or lose touch with them. You hold onto these people as tightly as you can, keep them safe within your heart and mind, knowing their importance.
I will confess this thinking has infiltrated my writing. My character, like me, believes in having a few friends, and keeping them close. Her friends, like mine, have become a part of our family. They are under our protection, and we will always have their back in all things regardless of if they are right or wrong. Evanee (my main character) has helped me to understand and come to terms with the fact that sometimes not everyone wants to be a part of our family, that toxic friendships are better off being left to run their course. That doesn't mean we forget these individuals, but rather we step back and allow ourselves to grow in a different direction. We have both been on a journey of self-discovery, learning from each other as we progress through our story-telling journey. I have no doubt that in the books to come we will evolve yet again, learning from each other as we go.
Now about that food topic. Another passion Evanee and I share.
