The Girl with Good Intentions

I know you have this friend in your life. We all do. Or maybe it's you. It's the girl who does it all! She works hard, raises her kids right, eats healthy, works out and always looks put together even in sweats and a hoodie. She continuously makes lunch plans to get all the girls together. She encourages you to try new endeavors and reminds you that you can do hard things. She gives the best advice; words from her soul that you feel to your core. She's selfless. But she's lonely.

I have this friend and I love her to pieces. I hope she doesn't mind me writing a little story about her. ;-) She happened into my life at a time when I didn't even realize how much I needed her. It was not an instant friendship. We saw each other often in groups and events. She was always smiling and laughing. She has the best laugh! I was definitely drawn towards the positive energy she exudes but honestly, I didn't think I was good enough to be her friend. I mean, this girl is fucking amazing. I'm pretty ordinary and most of the time I don't understand why people even like me. Then one day we ended up spending the afternoon together. Completely by chance. I can't even accurately describe how much I learned about her that day but I can tell you I knew I needed her in my life. And I was pretty sure she needed me too. You see, this girl who does it all is worn out. Everyone sees her living her best life and assumes she doesn't need anything. So all the giving of herself that she's doing is never returned. No one asks her how she's doing. She doesn't get words of encouragement because she's too busy building the rest of us up. As she works so hard to set us up for success she sets herself up for disappointment. Let me be clear, she didn't tell me this with these words, I learned it by spending time with her. She doesn't feel sorry for herself. There's no pity party for her. She will forever give all of herself to those of us that need it and even a few that don't. After our chance girls day we got close very quickly and I got to see the real version of her. She's just as amazing as I always knew she was but she's also just like the rest of us. She needs love too. Maybe the occasional praise for her hard work. A gift just because. Getting invited to lunch with the girls to relieve her of the responsibility to get us all together and just be able to sit, laugh, eat with her girlfriends. A random bouquet of flowers in her favorite color. Just knowing her favorite color! Remembering her birthday. She deserves the little things too so that she doesn't shatter. I know how important her friendship is to me. I know I need her and everything she gives of herself. And I let her be a reminder to me that all the perfectly put together people that come into my life need recognition too.

You know that saying, "don't judge a book by it's cover"? Or "before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes"? This friend is the reason those sayings exist. Unless you take the time to open the book or walk in her shoes you'll never really know the beauty of her existence and how fortunate you are to know her.

Be a good person, to yourself and to others. Some of the others will appreciate it more than you'll ever know. And don't forget to say "Thank You". As in, thank you for the read!