A new year, a new you, a better version of you! One of my goals for 2015 is to invest in the relationships that I hold dear to my heart. I would admit that I have not really taken a close look at my relationships until my husband said, “in order to have a friend, you have to be a friend.” Wow, ok that made me look deep within myself for the answer to that statement. Had I really been a friend?
I searched over the relationships in my life and concluded that yes maybe I hadn’t been such a good friend. At my age, I don’t believe that I would be making many new friends, acquaintances maybe, but real friends no. So I looked back over the years for those who had been positive, encouraging, influences in my life. Yep, I found them all in the history of my life. Those who never were far away during the real struggles on my journey.
I thought back to the milestones that we had shared with each other; the good ones and the bad. We never missed a beat. We may have missed birthdays or anniversaries, but we never failed to reconnect at the most important times. So I searched my heart and knew right away that I had to do something different. I wanted to make the next leg of my life’s journey with them by my side.
I wanted to celebrate them, let them know how incredibly important they were to me and the world. I decided that I would invest my time, money, and life to these few folks who God had so meticulously placed in the path of my life. I work in the funeral industry and all too often I see people regret missed opportunities to cherish those who were important to them. But once they are in our office it’s too late to change the pattern of the life that is now gone.
So I vowed that I am going to be the best friend, wife, mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, and person that I can be. I want to give each of my relationships their flowers while they are living to enjoy them. I will invest my time, money, and talent to bless their lives. I want them to know without a shadow of a doubt that they matter to me! And I want my life to reflect that I loved those dear to me and that I gave all that I could to make this world a better place.
Here are some of my ideas in blessing others:
- Send a card with flowers just to say “I love you and you matter to me”
- Take a day off work to spend the afternoon with my grandchildren just to laugh
- Buy a Valentine’s gift for my sister
- Take my mother to get a mani/pedi
- Have lunch and facial with my best friend
These are just some small things that you can do for someone special in your life. You would be amazed of how something small becomes a “big” deal to someone who deserves it! It’s time to invest!
Blessings,
Lisa
