People Who Care

My oldest asked me a question at dinner tonight-

"What are the best qualities in a person?"

I love this one, because all I had to do was think of my favorite people! Here's a few: 

Real-honest-authentic-open

Sensitive-compassionate-gentle-kind

Aware-humble-nurturing-down-to-earth

True-loyal-resourceful-funny-easygoing, conversational-

Hmmm....

Yeah, those are important to me. Any others are either too cliche, involve some kind of "box", or "label", or "performance". I don't know about you, but I just want to be appreciated for who I am inside, and I want to love others for what they are, not what they "do". 

So what happens if people I meet don't possess these qualities or I don't pass their "quality control" test? 

Happens every day, doesn't it? If it didn't, we would all live in perfect harmony every day!  

I think we all have a need to be understood. Some of us more than others! Some people go through life as though they don't seem to need nor care to go very deep with anyone. Those people, I admit, make me squirm. I feel I was made for connection, so I continue to seek those who also seek that deep soul connection with others. We are only here for a short time after all! Why waste time being shallow? 

So I guess it can be and has been a huge disappointment to think you connect with someone and later find it was not what you had hoped! 

As I look back over that list I see the qualities of my dearest friends who have stood by me through all of my good, my bad, my ugly, my highs, lows, best times, worst times, and times to come. I have made good choices.  My list is small, but it's good. 

They stayed to understand. To be open. To remain sensitive and compassionate. They were loyal! They didn't seek to replace me when I frustrated them with my insecurity. They sought to refine me with what they already knew about me-the truth they saw in me. Because of their humility, they could see me clearly. 

What is the best quality in a person? To be able to love. Perhaps the hardest one of all. The most "cliche", but the most difficult too. Because we have to admit, we're not easy to love sometimes and neither are "they". 

So at times like this when I'm at my worst, I have to admit, it's easy to look around at who "doesn't care". After all, 3 months of this gives a person too much time to think! But today I focused on those who DO care. 

Thank you GOD for placing those people near and far in my life. 3 of them I met online! Sarah, Sir Norm, and Angela, you are a blessing to me! 

The rest of you hear from me in other ways, and you know I love you too!