Powerful :o)

Being single used to mean that nobody wanted you. Now it means you’re pretty sexy and you’re taking your time deciding how you want your life to be and who you want to spend it with.
Sex and the City

Rest in Peace Trayvon

Last night around 10 o'clock pm, I was out at a friend's barbecue enjoying bud light lime beers and hot dogs. Some guys were playing their guitars, sounds of Santeria feeling the living room in which we now huddled, after escaping the torrential downpour outside. One of my best friend's from high school texted me to see if I was at home, to which I responded no. It wasn't until around 2 A.M. that I realized why he had texted me at that hour. I had logged onto facebook, only to find out a few hours late that a verdict had been given in the case of George Zimmerman. Michael had been texting me to see if I had heard the news. All I could think about at that moment is that, while I was out being young and wild ... a ruling was given that made history. A ruling that will have an impact on the way these sorts of trials and cases may or may not be ruled in the future. 

I will be honest in stating, I do not know all of the details per say in relation to this case. I did not follow the case closely [day to day] and I think social media has put an entirely different spin on this case than what should have been. What I will say is that, I've read countless articles on CNN and other websites that stated that Zimmerman was advised to remain in his car, on the evening that Trayvon lost his life. Why he chose to pursue this young man [who was a potential threat] versus waiting for back up is beyond me. I know that many people have mixed opinions about whether or not this case should be tied to race. However, to me, it is tied to race and I care because I think of my younger brother who is also 17 years old. I would be absolutely devastated if he was pursued and shot [in an act of self defense]. And the problem remains that in this country, there is a significant chance that my brother may be mistaken for something that he is not, and the course of his life could be altered at the hands of another man for the color of his skin alone.

I read an article on Thought Catalog that I thought was well-written. In a sense, it captured some of my thoughts and feelings regarding why this case is related to race, although in my heart of hearts, I sincerely wish that it was not. At the very least, I hope that lessons learned as a result of this trial inspire individuals of all colors and nationalities to become agents for change. And the first change I would like to see take place is that we are all doing all we can to decrease and/or eliminate gun violence.

President Obama released a statement this afternoon saying: "The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy. Not just for his family, or for any one community, but for America. I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher. But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities. We should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis. We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this. As citizens, that's a job for all of us. That's the way to honor Trayvon Martin."

Although my heart hurts for Sybrina Fulton and her family tonight, I think she has the right mindset: "God is still in control."

All Things Come Full Circle

 “No matter the deviation, all things come full circle. You begin and end your journey in the same place, but with a different set of eyes.”

Outgrowing Your Friends

A website that I SWEAR by is The Single Woman. The author of the blog, Mandy Hale, is a god fearing, single woman whose posts seem to always be exactly what I need to hear in the moment that I am reading her site. I am sure I sound like a broken record, writing about the SAME topics year after year, however lately I have been feeling the sudden change in the atmosphere [or powers that be] once again. I can tell that things are changing. I feel myself leaving one season and entering another. At this particular moment, I feel as though my circle of friends is changing once again.

So of course I felt compelled to read Mandy's blog, and she wrote about none other than: outgrowing friendships. In fact, two quotes that she posted were:

• "There are certain people who no longer belong in your life no matter how much you want them to. You know who they are. Let them go." - Robert Tew
  
• "One of life's challenging realizations is that sometimes you outgrow your friends." - Steve Maraboli

It amazes me how real these quotes feel to me in this moment, as I recognize that I have lost several friends over the past year and I continue to feel as though some friendships no longer serve the same purpose in my life. It is upsetting to realize you are growing apart from people that you once held so dear. What hurts me the most is that, many of these friends were once considered my DEAREST friends. I thought for sure we would be friends until the end of time. It stinks watching their life change, and knowing that your life has changed too in two totally different directions. It also makes my heart ache deeply, because in hindsight, I wonder if it was my actions or lack thereof that contributed to our parting of ways.

There is yet another quote that seems so fitting right now that says: 

• "Life doesn't hurt until you think about, how much things have changed, who you've lost along the way, and how much of it was your fault."

I felt the need to write this post because I logged onto facebook tonight to find out that my "best friend" of sixteen or seventeen years got engaged today. We have been growing apart for some time [although I could not tell you if it was her fault or my own], but the news still struck me like a ton of bricks. I like her husband to be and think that they will be wonderful together. What hurt me was that I had to find out through facebook. I suppose we are not as close as we once were ... and as a result, she did not feel the need to text me or drop me a line to share with me this exciting news in her life. Ouch.

So I cried for a good ten minutes. Sobbed really. It hurts to think that about how much things have changed in one year. How much I have changed in one year. It huts to reflect on some of the friends I have lost over the past twelve months. To think about whether or not our parting of ways has anything to do with my actions, or my changes in personality. Then I cannot help but wonder, is this God's doing?
Mandy Hale wrote: "No one is forever anything. No matter how much we might want to be, life does not come with a pause button. We are not here to stop, to hesitate, to grow stagnant in any one particular season or place or era of life. We're meant to move, to grow, to change, to evolve." 
Although I know this to be true, it does not make my heart hurt any less.

So the question remains: What do I do now? What do you do when you realize you've outgrown friends, or perhaps even more heart-wrenching, they've outgrown you? 

Family Vacation 2013

  

Family Vacation of a Lifetime ... I truly enjoyed this trip to Florida and will remember it for a lifetime.