Friends

I often talk about negative emotions and the need to get out with our friends. Today is a perfect example of way this is so important. It was a beautiful winter day but all I wanted to do was stay home and have a “sad” day. I just didn’t feel like getting out of bed, yet go out into the world. Same days are just like that.

However, earlier in the week I had told my friend Monique that I would go snowshoeing with her this weekend. Now I’ve had these snowshoes since Christmas (thanks to my daughter Angela for the gift) but I kept making excuses as to why I didn’t have the time to get out.

Monique wasn’t going to let me off the hook – in fact she told me that I needed a kick in the butt! It was windy and cold but the sun was shining so it would have been a perfect day. But I just didn’t want to go out – the problem was that I had given her my word and I couldn’t go back on it. Friends can be both a pain and a blessing!

So I cleaned all the snow off the car, dressed three layers deep and grudgingly went to pick Monique up. Of course I put on my happy face but in the beginning all I wanted my warm, quiet and unsociable home. But this is where it gets interesting because we were not out more than ten minutes and I found my mood lifting. The sun was warm and in the woods the cold wind was unable to reach me. The beautiful snow hung on the trees and the sun bounced of the fresh snow to brighten my day. It was beautiful, peaceful and uplifting to be outside.

But in the beginning if I had my choice I would have stayed in and had my little “sad” day. I would have missed the beauty and peace of the day plus the fun of a good friend. I’m so thankful for friends that push me and encourage me to be positive and enjoy what I do have. To be truthful a day like today makes me grateful that I’m healthy and can get out of the house. It also makes me want more “friend” days and less ”sad” days.