Thank You for being my Friend

You know that supposedly unwritten rule
that says you don’t date your best friend’s ex ?
Well, in high school I was introduced to
my best friend’s girlfriend’s best friend.
(That’s a mouth full)

And as it happens when people
date people who share friendships -
my best friend’s girlfriend would often ask things
about him of me, and I’d inquire the same of her friend.
In all of this, we grew to learn more about each other.
After a bit of winding & twisting roads and 3 break ups later -
she and I ended up together.
Crazy. (No, we didn’t end up going crazy)
We even went on many double dates with my best friend !
Later, we married – and they were our Witnesses if I recall.

I never subscribed to the theory that you never ever date a friend’s ex.
Not so sure it was a conscious decision; it’s just something that was there.
I mean really – it’s awesome to have friends in common and develop
relationships with the friends of someone you’re seeing.
You can meet great people you may never have known had you not!

People

are

people.

Every person
is their own person;
they are an individual
with their own world
their own past, present & future.

I have never been asked by anyone
to not be friends with someone because
they had a problem with them.
I’ve never had to choose sides to keep a friend.

THANK GOD !!!

I don’t ask other people to rip out a piece of their heart
because I may have differences with someone they know.
I wouldn’t expect someone to give up something so precious
and priceless as the friendship of another simply because of
some emotion or feeling that I was having trouble dealing with.

Friendship…has been the saving force
that has saved and given me my Life.

I am not going to give that up,
and I am not going to take that away from another.

It’s too valuable… far too valuable
to be thrown away for the sake of
fleeting & temporary emotions.

And for the sake of those who may be going through turmoil,
I will be sensitive, caring and do what I can to buffer
against that which might add further stress.

But what I would rather do is offer another perspective;
another view & way of seeing that would allow peace
where only pressure is felt; appreciation where there
is now apprehension; and love where exists only loathing.

Because it’s there;
it’s there to find in them -
and it’s within you to embrace…
AND – before I go, take note of the picture.

See where it says:

“Friends face the future
and appreciate the passed…”

There was no error putting the word
“passed” in there instead of  “past”

Because friends move beyond
the petty and the small that
only end up building walls.
They appreciate that, through thick and thin -
there was Life shared & experienced together.
Regardless of what it was,
it has passed by and now only
the future remains unexplored.

Appreciate the passed;
savor the special memories;
and move toward the future
one precious moment at a time.