I got to spend last week celebrating my friends’ pretty important milestones – one just had her first baby and the other turned the big 4-0!
I am so grateful to have been able to be there and love up on each of them. More importantly, I am honored to have them in my life as part of my sisterhood.
At the birthday celebration dinner (photo below), my friend’s husband referred to her as a ‘friend collector’. It was humorous and sweet, and actually very accurate. Her thoughtfulness, care, fierce loyalty and love for those in her life is inspiring. Once you are in her inner circle, you don’t get left behind. In fact, her friends become your friends and ultimately form a chosen family. It’s quite beautiful and magical.
I’ve actually been rolling that idea around in my mind since hearing it—being a friend collector. I recognize an opportunity for myself in it. A chance to uplevel and open my heart even more inside my own friendships.
It’s very easy for me to get caught up in work, travel, supporting my clients, answering emails, hiking my pups – and NOT connect like I could.
I’m not beating myself up. Just waking up to an area I want to improve.
I watched the film About Time this trip too and was reminded of what’s important in life – not the deadlines, emails, phone calls, but the smiles at strangers, hugs from friends, love from the people in your life.
I’m not forming a rigid plan of action for how to move forward. I’m simply opening space in my heart to consider what I want and how I can create that. I’m setting an intention to pay more attention to my sisterhood. To my family. To those in my heart.
I share this with you today because I thought you might need a little reminder too.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear more in the comments. How do you pay attention to your sisterhood? How do you create space for the things that are really important?
Looking forward to seeing what you share.
Special hugs and love to you today.
Amber
I LOVED About Time…I think it’s a very good movie.
I have room for improvement in this area as well. At this point, I’ve witnessed a few tragedies and realize that life is worth savoring right now. My loved ones won’t remember if I completed everything on my to do list, but they will remember the memories we’ve made together. The last few months, I’ve been focusing on that.
Dear Akirah: About Time is so good, right? I really acknowledge you for already working on this in your own life. How have the last few months been, since you’ve been focusing on friends and loved ones?
I love this! Prioritizing my friendships really makes a difference in my happiness. My best friends from the east coast and I started a journal that we take turns scrapbooking in and mailing to each other. It’s a fun, creative way to visually document our (many!) life changes and feel connected despite the distance between us.
Dear Megan: What a fun idea – sharing scrapbooking journal! Thank you for reading and sharing here. xoA