Mariposa Kisses (aka Dianne's Blog)

I looked at her face and couldn’t believe it was actually her. She was one of my best friends about five years ago. So many months had passed though since we’d even talked or emailed. I almost didn’t recognize her, which was kind of embarrassing. I didn’t want to offend her, as if I’d forgotten her name or something. Of course I knew her name. I called out, “Dianne, I can’t believe it’s you!”

I explained how I’d been so busy with my three kids. Then, we exchanged the typical conversational questions about how each other’s husband was doing and about what the kids were up to. Wow, the time had flown by like a couple of seconds. My friend looked so good. I couldn’t believe she was my same age. Her face was full of vivacity; likewise, she looked so physically fit and tan. I was especially impressed by her energy and zeal for life. Within a few minutes of talking, I observed her radiant self confidence and her refreshing optimism. We exchanged some details about mutual friends and our equally overloaded schedules. But, wow, I was so blown away with how great my friend looked that I could hardly focus on my own responses.

Those ten minutes in front of the mirror were truly a blessing. They allowed me to see that I didn’t have to be the lethargic and exhausted mom that I’d become. My life was about more than just serving my husband and my children. I was buried down there somewhere and had been for a number of years. Somehow, I’d let the piles of laundry, the mound of dirty dishes, and the plethora of days I’d gone without pampering myself, to define me as less valuable. My list of tasks had become about everyone else.

I was blessed that morning when I looked in the mirror and remembered who I was. I was beautiful, talented, and full of dreams. That didn’t have to end just because my life had changed so much. That day, I decided I was going to set up a date with my new friend, “me”. I committed to clear out some time to rediscover who I was in order to rekindle some of my own personal passions and talents.

Labels: friendship, motherhood