Man Up(stairs)

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine stepped to me with some "real life shit." He let me in on the fact that a young lady he'd been "kicking it" with was pregnant.


Hold the phone.


I'm not one to judge. Life sometimes gives you lemons and you have to find a way to make lemonade. But I will admit that I wasn't expecting him to say this.


This brother is a good dude. College-educated. Good values. Has all his teeth. Speaks clearly, and in complete sentences, may I add. Likes to have fun. Basically, just trying to live like the rest of us.


And now, in the midst of trying to get his life in order, he gets hit with this.

He told me he has no idea what to do. He's had a million thoughts in his head about what his next move should be. He wants to do what's right....even if that's right in the midst of him getting his game up to make moves.

So when he stepped to me and asked what I thought...for a split second, I was perplexed. I wanted to be sensitive to his situation, but be real with him at the same time. I told him that the Man Upstairs has a way of getting our attention when He wants it. Sometimes, life's most rewarding moments come from the most difficult experiences. At times, He's speaking to us and we aren't listening to Him; so instead we go with the counsel of friends or with our own reasoning. So when we do that, He lets us get to a place where we have no choice but to turn to Him for help. It is only when we're in the belly of the whale or the lion's den that we have no choice but to let Him order our steps.

I encouraged him to pray and be about the business of listening....really listening. His will will never take your farther than his grace will protect you.

I also told him he'd be a pretty cool dad...

My Muse

"Inspiration comes in the strangest light"-Floetry

This quote 100% describes me at this very moment. Isn't it amazing how a sound, a smell, a song, or a person can have such a fierce impact on you? I find that fact quite fascinating.

Case in point:

My BFF is in town for the week. She happily (I hope) gave up her spring break to come spend time with me. Mind you, she left beautiful 82-degree North Carolina weather only to arrive in 36-degree, rainy/snowy New England. Her dog, our friends, and a very nice young man patiently await her arrival back on Saturday, but until then I have her all to myself. I can't begin to describe how good it feels to have her here; someone who knows me, feels me, can relate to the things I'm thinking and feeling. We're not doing anything out of the ordinary. Everything is as it would be if I were still down south. Dinners in, wine, conversation, music. Catching up on this and that, bouncing ideas off each other, giving feedback, and mainly just enjoying each other's company.

She is, in many ways, my muse. Talking with her inspires me to be the best woman I can be. I'm insanely proud of her and her accomplishments thus far in life and I know that she equally of me and mine. We often spoke of these times when we were younger, and now that we're older and watching it come to fruition, it's a sight to behold. We've come a long way from the timid freshman living in the same dorm, trying to figure out what life held for us to being women of the world.

Sometimes I find myself feeling inadequate in my surroundings. Not fitting in with my coworkers or surroundings, missing the sun on a daily basis, having someone to just vibe out with. It's not that I don't have people around me that I can do this with, but when it's done with someone who has notches on the belt it means so much more. I'm not rushing to move back south to be close to what's familiar to me; but I appreciate it so much more when I have it close to the chest. It keeps me grounded. I can express myself and not feel silly. To quote someone who got a glimpse of the excitement in my voice: "you seem more alive when she's around."

A good friend (a best friend to be exact) will do that to you...