Friday, May 18, 2012

The Value of Friends

Tonight I am reflecting on how lucky I am to have such wonderful female friends.

Our family had dinner tonight with a couple who we adore, Aaron and Hailey.  Hailey and I actually went to Saint Mary's College together but really did not know one another well until they bought a house through Stephen.  Hailey and I sat in her family room talking for hours tonight, and I found myself thinking on the way home how wonderful it is to have a new friend to spend time with.

This is Hailey, after she got a $500 shopping spree to Flourish (which is a program we offer to customers of Flourish who use my hubby Stephen as their realtor to purchase or sell a home)....big smile:D.  Mostly, the best part about this real estate deal though was the blessing of the friendship that followed!  Aaron and Stephen are great friends now too! 

I also got a text tonight from Ann, who works at Flourish.  Today Ann's hubby had phoned her at work and had been hurt on his job site.  I could see Ann was really shaken and knew she needed to go be with him.  I insisted she leave work to go make sure he was ok and just be by his side.  And, Nicole and Amanda, who were working today as well, insisted we would figure out covering her shift and to not worry and just head on out.  Anyway, Ann's husband is going to be just fine thankfully and her text was to thank us for encouraging her to leave work and for covering her shift.  She said she was "thankful for the wonderful women she worked with, XOXO"  Ann could not be more right...the women that I am blessed to work with at Flourish are some of the kindest, most genuine women I know.  And, I feel blessed to call them friends.  So, everyday I get to go to a job I love and spend time with a circle of women I cherish. Nicole, Kandyce, Laurie, Ann, Kerri, Amanda, Brianne, Maggie,  Shelby and myself make up our current team and I am so thankful for their comradery and the great workplace we share!

The Flourish Girls!
From Left to Right: Maggie, Kandyce, Sarah, Laurie, Brianne, Vanessa, Ann, Kerri, Nicole (Shelby and Amanda not pictured here and Sarah is currently on maternity leave, but we miss her very much:))

And, a post about friendships would not be complete without reflecting on my longtime girlfriends.  Amanda Aldridge, Shaina, Brittany, McGee, Nicole, Jessica, and Marielle are friends and cousins who I love very much and share so many wonderful memories with.  Love you guys!

My Longtime friends; Back row: Brittany, McGee, Amanda
Middle Row: My cousins Marielle and Nicole
Front Row: Me:)
*Not pictured Shaina and my cousin Jessica

It's funny how in life, you realize that people are what really matter.  Relationship, and essentially LOVE is what sticks.  At the end of someones life, their possessions and even their achievements are not what they take with them...only love is eternal.  No one asks for their business to be by their side in the end....it's the people you love and have shared life with who you call to.  This is an area of my life where I am particularly blessed and thankful for, and yet my drive for my career often keeps me from being the best friend that I can be.  I am going to try and be a better friend, as I aim to achieve more balance in my life.  If someone matters to you, you should tell them all the time!  So, I encourage you today: who is a blessing in your life?  Have you told them recently how much you love them?  Have you nurtured a friendship that may be neglected? It's never too late to tell someone how much they matter to you.

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