Every. Single. Person.

Lately I've been thinking about how people affect your life. Every single person you have ever known has affected your life in a positive way. I know, many of you may disagree, and contradict me to let me know there is a list of people you could have done without. Maybe. Maybe they didn't have a great role in your life at the time. Maybe they hurt you. Maybe they wasted your time. Yet I am willing to bet that if you think about it, each one of those people served some sort of purpose. Even if that purpose was to waste your time. While your time was being wasted you learned patience. Amongst other things.

While you were getting hurt you learned a lesson. Maybe you didn't learn your lesson the first time, and you needed to learn it again and again. Who knows. Maybe you are slow like me. Maybe that friend who wasn't really a friend taught you to be more selective with the people you trust. Maybe she let you down so many times you became self reliant. Maybe she was late enough times to help you realize how important punctuality really is.

It is easy to remember all the wonderful things that have happened and how they have changed you. But it is hard to see the beauty within the difficult, painful, annoying and downright maddening. All of those things helped teach you something. And I don’t necessarily mean about other people, or the situations in which things occurred, but rather about yourself. Besides, all of these things are in the past. They are no longer bad experiences, they are just memories. Harmless memories that have created who you are.

And there is never anything wrong with that.
Peg People by Craft Supply House via Etsy

Comments

  1. Just TApril 1, 2013 at 11:51 AM

    This is so true. It took me SO many years to see that the truly horrific things in my life did serve a purpose and as crazy as it sounds, made me a stronger person. If you would have asked me that 10 years ago, I would have disagreed. I firmly believe that your life is what you make of it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AmberApril 1, 2013 at 3:10 PM

    Janet this is beautifully written. Very thought provoking.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SadieApril 1, 2013 at 4:17 PM

    So true. And something we all definitely need to be reminded of occasionally...It helps take the sting from some of those more painful encounters/experiences.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ChickenpigApril 2, 2013 at 8:45 AM

    Very true. It is just hard to remember that in the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  5. JustMeApril 2, 2013 at 12:41 PM

    I love your posts. They always make me think. Which is hard to do in the mornings...

    ReplyDelete
  6. MariaApril 5, 2013 at 4:55 PM

    Oh, I love love love this post. It is so true and honest. There have been so many people in my life that may not still be in it, but taught me a lesson.
    You are a beautiful writer and person.
    Xoxox

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

What are you thinking about? I'd love to hear what you have to say...

Popular posts from this blog

Keeping Secrets

Image
I've been keeping a secret. I'm not even going to make you wait. I'm just going to come out and say it. I really don't like when people say, "Hey, I have news" and then ramble on for fifteen minutes about how they didn't know how to tell you, and would you like the good news or the bad news first. I mean, if you don't know how to tell me, then maybe you should have thought about it a little bit more before you brought it up, because now I'm just sitting here waiting while you find the perfect words to share news that...let's be honest...probably doesn't impact me in the slightest. And as for the good news/bad news question? What do you think? If you're really asking, I'd rather not hear the bad news at all. Because who wants to hear bad news? Unless it's just "bad" relative to the good news, but not really all that bad in its own right, well then I guess I wouldn't mind hearing it. And I might like to hear it first...
Read more

Dilemma

Image
I’m having a bit of a dilemma. Which is putting it mildly. I am not sure whether to shut the factory down for good, or keep it chugging along in its pitiful, yet marginally functioning state. If things were normal, if *I* was normal (cue hysterical laughter here), then I might be happy to let things chug along as they were and see what happens. But things (my body and I) are far from normal and so I feel like I need to make a decision either way. Which really sucks and makes me feel a renewed sense of frustration, irritation and mourning for the sorry state of affairs of my reproductive bits. We recently had an appointment with our RE to discuss our options and see where we stand. It was great to touch base with Dr. L but as expected, nothing has really changed. My fertility has been on a fairly rapid decline and there's not much we can do to change that (FSH last tested at 20). It was good to hear that my tubes are open and that my uterus appears to be in good shape but despit...
Read more

Start Spreading The News...

Image
My trip to New York City was completely amazing but I'm not going to lie....the re-entry to life has been difficult this past two days. After 5 days away I thought I'd return refreshed and ready to jump back onto the work/life wagon...I was wrong. Is it Friday yet? The highlights of my trip were many. But first...I had a moment. When we made it to the hotel, the emotions that had been building the entire day and week came bursting out and I cried and cried. Oh, how I cried! Uncontrollable, sloppy, snotty bawling that pretty much claimed an entire box of tissues. You see, the morning that we left my period started...a full 5 days early. I was crushed. I was sure that this was THE cycle. My emotions got the better of me but I quickly re-grouped and a little voice chimed up saying, “Go splash water on your face and get out! Go and tackle your NYC bucket list head on” And tackle we did! In short, we took in two shows on Broadway, made a visit to the 9/11 Memorial, saw the Statue of...
Read more