how you know...

Yesterday I was cleaning, ( suprise!) my cleaning time is probably the most dangerous time of day for me. Its my thinking time. I let my mind go where it wants, explore what it needs to, work through issues I may have pushed aside. I often leave my cleaning hours by saying  to Mike " so...I was thinking..." to which he inevitably replies... " UH OH".

But I was thinking about my friends, the ones that are real, fake and in between. I was thinking of how grateful I am to have some amazing souls- real people, in my life who have watched and protected me through tough trials especially this last year. I realized something I think I should share.

How do you know if a friend is a real friend??  A good friend who loves you for just you. It's that simple. They are the ones, that as you go through struggles, whether they met you in the middle of the mess or have known you long before....as you go through these struggles, they don't judge you BY  the struggles.  They see beyond your bad temper tantrums or frequent out burst, your saying something you shouldn't have said because you are feeling low.They have the ability to see beyond the person struggling, they see you for who you are, not just the you right now, but the person you are destined to be. They choose to love that person you are meant to be and help you remember who she is, so you can reach a little higher and become her once more.

Those are true friends, the ones who see through the mess...the now. They see your heart and love you in spite of your imperfections. So whether they meet you in the middle of the mess or as your flaws come to light later, it doesn't matter, because they see beyond them. When you find those friends, make sure you tell them you love them...I hope you all know who you are, because I don't have many, but you few are as dear as family to me, you are the few that I plan on seeing in this life and the next....so your stuck with me is what I am saying. ;)