Just the best.

Once you start focusing on the good in your life, it's as if the bad doesn't exist anymore.

A lovely friend of mine told me once to "Prepare for the best". I found that funny because we are more often than not preparing for the worst, as the saying goes. If we spend so much time preparing for the bad things to come, we'll miss out on the best parts of each day.

Look only for the best, and the best is what you'll see. :)

Impact

When someone close to you dies, you begin to think of the vulnerability of your own life - as selfish as that is.

I haven't thought much about how fragile life is until recently. My history teacher of three years just passed away a few days ago due to a fatal accident. She died in the act of helping someone else, which is just like her. She was 27 and recently married.

I've wondered before who would cry or care or be impacted if I died. Don't get me wrong - I don't plan on dying anytime soon. But concerning Miss Cole's death, not only did it have an effect on her students and family - but the entire community.

Which, in turn, makes me think that if a death can affect so many lives, then do we truly realize the impact and value of the life that we lead? How am I, by my words and actions, molding and reshaping people's lives - even if we're only acquaintances? Why is it that we don't realize how much we have until we lose it?

Friends like You

It’s friends like You who I want to keep forever. 

It’s friends like You who I wish I could order in bulk. I could duplicate You and manufacture You and give You away as a gift. Leave You on the porch of the widow next door. Stick You under a Christmas tree for a neglected child.

You, Friend, have touched my life right on its tender spot. At first the pressure hurt – You saw characteristics in me that I couldn’t see in myself. Or rather, the characteristics You saw weren’t there yet. You brought them out of me. You saw me for who I really was. And after a while, the tender spot You had ever so carefully patched up began to heal and the hurt I felt scabbed over. I finally felt okay with myself and selfishly ripped You off like a band aid – I didn’t need Your unconditional love as protection anymore. I was strong on my own, but I wasn’t strong enough. 

And just like that – I tripped and fell again and reopened my nearly-healed wound. I crawled back to You like a child and without question You wrapped your arms around me and whispered in my ear and kissed the tears off of my wet cheeks. And just like that I swore to never leave You again. My heart was open to You, and that made the hurt go away even faster. Soon my tender spot was nearly non-existent and I had never been happier. We walked hand in hand into the sunset just like a movie except this wasn’t a movie – this was real life and I soaked every second of it in. You told me that You were especially fond of me, and I smiled ear to ear.

It was a week later when I saw You. You were running, arms outstretched, to help another little girl get back on her feet. At first I was angry, but I caught myself. Anger is a secondary emotion – there is always something deeper behind it. Fearjealousybetrayalsadness. I braced myself and waited for my emotions to eat me alive, but just then You caught my eye. Your ever constant gaze knocked me to my knees and I was overwhelmed by gladness and love and everything good. I rushed to that little girl with all of my strength and flung my arms around her neck and told her that she was beautiful and precious and worth all the pain in the world. I wiped the tears off of her cheeks and brushed her hair and told her that I was especially fond of her. She looked up at me with swollen eyes and thanked me but I knew she wasn’t thanking me – she was really thanking You. It was Your example she was impressed with, and she had every right to be.

You, Friend, live through me every day and I see You as a light in other people’s eyes. We walk hand in hand in hand in hand and have never been happier. My tender spot has been replaced with the unwavering love for others that You have so graciously given me. And for that I thank You with all of my heart.

You, Friend, are just the type I’d like to get delivered to my house.

Insecurity

Insecurity is relying on someone or something else to supply a feeling.

Generally, if I think of someone as "insecure" I picture those in a serious relationship where they are very dependent on their significant other. I've seen this in a lot of my friends' boyfriends/girlfriends. Phone calls every five minutes, Facebook stalking, clingy, having to see each other every day. 

It's not a bad thing to have someone that you can feel secure and comfortable with, but there is a line concerning insecurity that is easily crossed.

In my own life, I have felt insecure with religion, family, working and friendships. I find that if I am not busy then I am not happy. If I am not with people then I am not happy. One of the hardest things that I have come to realize is that being alone every once in a while is healthy. 

It's okay to be okay with yourself. It's okay to trust others and it's okay to be trusted.

Relying on someone/something else for you happiness is a form of insecurity. Each individual has the power inside themselves to make themselves happy. Insecurity is a choice, and so is happiness.