My favorite thing about a lousy week is the first day when things start to seem a bit brighter; the day when you have a much-needed breath of fresh air, and are reassured that you are on the exact path you’re supposed to be. I mean, sure, even on such a glorious day, there’s always a chance that your baby may come down with 101° fever like mine did, but that’s a given risk that any mama takes on a daily basis!
Day 5:
Something I'm Thankful For: Those perfect lunches, when you catch up with a friend, laugh your tuchus off, brainstorm about creative ideas, and happen to be sitting next to an awesome person who becomes a New Instant Friend. Yesterday was the first day in… weeks? months?... where I felt like my true self. Being a social person, one of the things I’ve always loved to do is to make Instant Friends for life. One such example is my Pen Pal, whom I met randomly at a restaurant in Toronto while on a family vacation in August of 2000. We exchanged AIM Screen Names (wow, I can’t remember the last time I thought about AIM) and mailing addresses, and every now and then we exchange some snail mail. (It’s been my turn for a good 5 or 6 years now…but who’s counting! :-P) Even though we now live in different countries, we’ve stayed in touch through all our milestones: marriage, parenthood, and all the dramas & traumas. Even though we don’t communicate as often as we’d like, we share a deep bond and a fierce pride in our friendship. Every time I make a New Instant Friend, without fail I think about how long my Instant Friendship with my Pen Pal has endured, and it always makes me smile.
Back to today. I met up with another Instant Friend that I made a few months ago on a shoot for a Bud Light commercial that I storyboarded. She was an actress who was pumping milk in the bathroom, so of course, we creative mamas with brand new baby girls began talking and hit it off. We’ve since collaborated on some awesome art I can’t wait to share, and yesterday we were finally able to catch up in person. As luck would have it, we ended making another New Instant Friend, who ended up sharing a table with us at the overcrowded restaurant. New friends, great food, great creative talk; G-d only knows how much I needed it. (And, well, I guess you guys did too because of this blogging thingamajig).
Challenge O' The Day: This weekend is definitely going to be challenging. Today is the official last day of hubby’s contract. This weekend marks the end of a 3-week period of mourning in the Jewish calendar that culminates with a big 25 hour fast. Getting through the next few days is not going to be easy, especially with 2 little young’uns, and I’m looking forward to starting a brand-spanking new week on Monday.
Lesson Learned: As an Orthodox Jew, my faith in G-d is a big part of my life. It’s easy to focus on all of life’s negativity, but after the lunch date yesterday I really felt at peace with where I’m at right now for the first time since getting news of hubby’s job loss. I was overcome with that reassuring feeling that I’m exactly where I need to be, something I hadn’t felt in a long while. It couldn’t have come at a better time.
Daily Insight: Yesterday I began feeling like I needed a strong reminder of who I am, and I feel like today I actually got one. Friendships have always been the cornerstone of my existence, and having a lovely lunch was definitely an important highlight to help combat my Summer Blues that I addressed in yesterday’s post. But more than that, friends continue to come out of the woodwork to really make me feel supported. The continuous texts, check-ins, and messages have been amazing. One friend gave me an inspirational coloring book page (all colored in, of course) with the message “The Best Is Yet To Come”, and so generously offered to treat me to a massage. Another friend sent me a link to a fantastic video about getting through a lousy week. The video offered some really great tips, and it made me feel good that I already had been implementing most of the suggested methods on my own. I sincerely hope the time that I can reciprocate all these good deeds comes speedily, and will try extra hard to spot opportunities to pay it forward in whatever capacity I can.
Oh, and the Pen Pal I mentioned earlier? By sheer coincidence, I heard from him a few hours after the lunch date (after I inevitably thought about him) that he’ll likely be in town next week for work! (!!!!!!!!) So it looks like I may get to catch up with my dear, dear friend in person for the first time in about 8 years. Today I actually cried tears of JOY, which was a welcomed relief from the rest of the week. I’m just happy to be thrown a frickin’ bone and reassured that I’m on the right path to cope with this rough patch. If you’re reading this, please know how much I value you for taking the time to help me through this journey. As always, sending love and hugs to all. <3