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My day began today with a friend sharing a preview clip from tonight's Barbara Walters interview with Oprah. The scene, dubbed "Oprah's tears" by bloggers and newsmakers, is posted on our facebook page, if you haven't already seen it make the rounds. In it, when asked about her BFF Gayle, Oprah replies: "She is the mother I never had. She is the sister every person would want. She is the friend everyone deserves. I don't know a better person." And then she asks for a tissue to wipe the famous tears.
On Monday, in Elizabeth Edwards (1949-2010) final facebook post, she says: "I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces -- my family, my friends and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times, and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that."
These both touched me in such a way that the blog I had prepared for today was set aside. Instead I wanted to share with you these significant words from two women who have walked very public lives, impacting many. And for each, as they reflected on ending different life chapters, what touches them most should not go unnoticed.
There are many things that could have provoked Oprah's tears, but it is in the context of friendship and in wanting Gayle to know how much she means, that the tissue needed to be summoned. There are many causes that Elizabeth Edwards could have championed in her final days, but to list family, friends and faith together gives us a powerful reason to pause.
Fostering that which Matters Most
Happiness is many things, ladies. I have been thinking about it a lot lately, and will undoubtedly be writing about in upcoming weeks more and more. But what strikes me is, how on our death beds and in closing remarks, we know what really matters and yet, in the day-to-day quest, we often seem to get sidetracked.
I don't know about you, but for me, especially around the holidays, it becomes tempting to think that I'd be happy if I was just with so-and-so, or if I just had enough money for this-and-that, or if I had just accomplished more of the-things-on-my-to-do-list; but that which has greater impact on our happiness is less about what we can attain and more about who we surround ourselves with in life.
So since I already wrote a blog today and set it aside, this one will be more brief. But I wanted to simply applaud you for the life decisions you are making to foster a community of friends around you.
Undoubtedly it can be disappointing and daunting at times. You get frustrated because she didn't show when she said she would, because she seems too busy to really connect, because you're not sure you'll ever find someone you truly connect with, etc. But the fact that you are on this journey deserves some serious applause.
My standing ovation is for you:By joining GirlFriendCircles, you don't have a guarantee that you will meet your Gayle, but you have reminded yourself that it's important to keep connecting with women. I applaud that faith in you. By receiving my blogs and holding them in your heart for a moment each week, you are allowing yourself to admit that friendships matter to you enough to not give up. I applaud that faith in you.By RSVP'ing for a ConnectingCircle and showing up to meet other women, you are proving to yourself that you trust the process-- that what you put in today might mean celebrating a friendship this time next year. I applaud that faith in you. By reaching out to someone you find in our community and inviting them to a meal, you are initiating in one of the most significant life areas possible. I applaud that faith in you.
This month, I implore you to hold your faith in the possibilities of friendship. It is not just a nice-to-have in your life if you have time. It is a must-have in your life if you value health and happiness.
May this holiday season find ways to remind you that the "saving graces" in life can't be purchased, but must be fostered: family, friends and faith.
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Recent Posts
 | | Shasta Nelson founded GirlFriendCircles.com as a way to help introduce amazing women to potential girlfriends. Passionate about women, our relationships and our value to community, she’s inviting women to find those friends online, but make sure to take them offline to a cup of coffee too! |
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