The thing about adversity is that it forces you to make choices! My last blog post deals with this where I share my personal response to a challenging situation.
Interestingly, what I am learning from adversity is that it also teaches you a thing or two about how those around you respond to your challenges.
I've had friends that find it most comfortable to deal with my situation by ignoring it altogether. It's never brought up and it's not mentioned in our conversations.
Then again, there are friends that feel compelled to reach out to know more!! I've had everything from concerned emails, texts, phone calls with either enquiries of "What's going on?" to offers of ""I'm here to listen" followed by an invitation for a convesation, coffee, dinner, chat and so on!
I've shared heartfelt, emotional moments with some friends where I reveal all. Then again, I've shared awkward (for them) conversations with friends who were perhaps not prepared for the honesty and candour with which I either shared very personal details of my story or refused to share any of the personal details my story.
I've received calls, cards and letters sent to cheer me up and I continue to receive the "positive vibes" that are being channelled my way from friends near and far!
With all these friends and well wishers, I accept their concern for me at face value. I do not second guess their motives and I trust implicitly that their curiousity and questions come from a place of care and love. And so, to everyone that is included in the category above, I say thank you for your love, your prayers, your well wishes and your support. It really does mean so much to me to know that you're there, thinking of me, praying for me and sending me your good energy!
This post, however, is especially dedicated to the handful of friends and family members that truly went beyond the call of duty and offered solutions without even being fully aware of the actual "problems". They offered me their time, their services and their professional expertise. They tried to anticipate my needs and opened up their hearts, their homes and, in some cases, their purses to me.
I cannot thank you enough for your generosity. You know who you are and what you have given.
With some of you, I was the one that reached out to you hoping that I could count on your support and I feel so blessed that you did not let me down! And there are some among you that did not even wait for me to reach out and ask for help. You somehow heard all that was unsaid and read between the lines and knew just what to do. For that, I will always remain indebted to you...long after the tangible debts have been repaid! Because when it's raining more than ever, you've reached out and made room for me and let me stand "under your umbrella" :)
For anyone reading this, my prayer for you is that may you never have to experience trying circumstances in your life but if you do, then I pray that you are fortunate enough to be surrounded by friends that are just like mine!
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