A Little Piece Inside

I'm not the girl that things happen for. I don't mean that in a depressing or ungrateful way... things just don't happen for me. One of my best friends and I were at Disneyland recently, watching the parade. Things happen for her. We were discussing that if a "cast member" (D-land staff for those of you not familiar with the term) came up to us and said "we need you two in the parade," she would end up as Tinkerbell... the one that leads the parade atop a magnificent float. The one who every little kid looks up at and waves back, confident that Tinkerbell was only waving at them. I, on the other hand, would end up being the dancing fork in the Beauty and the Beast section; or I would be the back end of a two person donkey costume - with my back hunched over and my hair and sweat falling on my face while I walk for a mile without waving because I have to hold on to the person who is the front end of the donkey, a slightly better role. I know I have a choice here - to be envious or to be thankful that I am in the parade at all.

Here's something that did happen for me though - friendships. This doesn't happen for everyone the way it happened for me and I don't know why I was chosen to get this in life, but man I know I have some of the best friends (this includes family) in the world. Through them I experience so much love, so much joy, so much heartache, so much depth, so much genuine laughter, so much security, so much fullness in life! I have friends who I can be completely myself with, completely honest with and a complete dork with. They challenge me to love deeply and freely; they let me cry hard and go on angry rants knowing it will lead to healing. I have friends who I know love me and whom I love... no matter the distance, no matter the surrounding circumstances, no matter the "life stage." I will forever be grateful that this happened for me. Because of this, I am the happiest dancing fork/donkey's butt in the parade.