30 Days of Deepening Friendships - Day 30

Today was a mixed bag. Current dealings with various business entities all turned out to be disappointments, so I got out of the house for a movie and saw Eclipse. A year ago, I may have seen a movie once every month or two. These days I go at least once a week because if I refrain from eating/drinking, the tickets at the Movie Tavern are just $6 bucks and it has become my escape.  As I build a life intent on working from home, I find I need to intentionally get out of the house so I don't turn into some kind of recluse.   ;o) 

Well, in addition to an awesome 30DODF salon call to wrap up the month, when I returned from the movie I picked up my mail to find a gift from my dear friend Robyn (she lets me call her G-ma).  G-ma sent me a Movie Tavern gift card! She sent it 'just because' (because she's AWESOME).  We haven't met in person, yet she's learned about me through my posts and knows me. This is the same wonderful person who sent me a Zena Moon candle for my home office when I was laid off from my job in February.  A friend who pays attention to little comments to get to know you is a treasure.  I, of course feel horrible because my extent of paying attention was to think every time she posted something about living in SD, she was talking about South Dakota (she lives in San Diego). I was wondering why on days when Robyn would talk about earthquakes that I didn't see anything in the news about South Dakota having an earthquake. LOL!  Oh, my. I finally 'got it.'  And my intention is to be a friend who pays attention.

Anyway, thank you my dear friend - I'm so glad you're in my life and what an awesome thing to have happen on the final day of the Deepening Friendships project. 
 

 This has been an incredible month that has made me realize that this has been an amazing year in terms of the friendships that have been made.  I've barely scratched the surface in deepening friendships because it takes time to learn about and be there for a friend.  The more time I spend and the more interested I am in others, the more the friendships are deepened.  So this month was a springboard to getting to know several people better than I did when the month began, and the ending of the project is not an ending to my commitment to continue to reach out and be a friend.   This month also made me aware that through life's challenges, friends make everything so much more bearable and when I think life's burdens have me too depleted or busy to talk on the phone, I need to remember that I can't afford not to take that time to reach out.  Friends provide a fresh perspective, support and unconditional love.  I need that and can never allow myself to do without that again, nor isolate myself so that I'm not there for others. This month also made me realize that 30 days isn't enough time to touch on and deepen all the friendships that I would have liked.  There are a couple of friendships that I've neglected ... so this will be an ongoing effort.

Thank you to everyone who continues to show up for me through calls, emails, cards, BBQ invites, Facebook comments (and gifts!).  :)  I'm so very grateful and I promise to show up for you in whatever capacity I can.  If I've failed to show up for you when you needed me, I'm so sorry.  Please let me know so I can share my perspective or be a better friend. If I didn't interact with you this month, let's touch base in July and give each other the gift of an unhurried presence -- the gift of a deepened friendship.