Life just happens to you when you are busy making other plans...

Thank you to the late John Lennon for the title of this post...

Life does just happen, and it gets really busy when it does.

Lately, small things make me sit back and really reflect. Things that seem insignificant enough, but somehow warrant more attention to them than what one might think...

For instance:

I met some good, old friends for dinner/drinks a week ago on Thursday. Now, they are not OLD--at least,not older than I am--but I have known these women for better than twenty years. I have not been in constant touch with all of these women in the last twenty years because life does just happen. That said, we have been making more of an effort to try to get together in the past couple of years thanks to our 20th class reunion. I hope the dinner/drinks thing happens even more often now, though, because I really enjoyed spending time with these ladies. I can be myself around all of them. That is definitely a good thing.

And I haven't laughed like that in a very long time!!

How does this go to my "something that warrants more attention" you may ask?

Well, I have been reflecting on it this past week.

I spent much of the last twenty years after high school trying to figure out who I am and what I want to do. I have wasted a good portion of that time hiding out. What I mean by that is I often do not step out of my comfort zone and let myself just be ME. I worried too much in the past about what others may think about me and my life.

The conclusion I have drawn from this is that I am not that much different from these old friends. Sure, we have had varying life experiences, but I do belong and matter.

I will say that again. I do belong and matter.

In my past, I have felt worthless. I have felt shame for who I am and things I have or have not done. This was not imposed on me by others, it was an internal thing.

Sick, sick...sick.

We definitely are harder on ourselves than other people are.

In this one dinner/drinks "girls nite", I realized that I often do not give myself credit and I guess I forgot how it felt to be a part of a group. I had a pretty active social life when I was in high school and into my twenties. Somewhere along the way, life happened and I did lose that "social" piece of me.

Once upon a time, in spite of some of the trials in life, I was basically a happy-go-lucky person. I have determined I want to be that person again.

Life happens, but it is too short to wallow in the hard and bad times. Yes, you must acknowledge them, and you must learn from them. But, you also must move on.

I guess 2011 is that year for me. Growth, change...moving on.

Of course, I am still going to ponder, and process...because I am a work in progress. But I have decided it is time to just have a little more fun. Enjoy my family, my friends, my classes, everything.

Here's to more girl's nites and to other fun things to remember why life is so good.

Me? A positive attitude?

Sure, with a side of sarcasm. After all, I am trying to be more genuine! ;)