Birds Of A Feather......

I admire a skill my youngest daughter has... It's a skill she has perfected in her short 12 (almost 13) years here on Earth.... She can completely turn herself off... What I mean is that - when she makes up her mind - she is steadfast and true.... When she decided that gymnastics was not a way of life for her - she said "I'm done"... I remember her coach trying to coax her into changing her mind by painting pictures of Olympics and Ivy league scholarships.. He had almost convinced me to give it a try.... But Kara (my kid) never looked back and had no regrets... She also has this talent with people... She can let go of an unhealthy friendship and forget about it.... until and only until it becomes healthy again... She won't play games...

One of the things that I try to teach my girls is that others will judge them on who they hang out with regardless of the circumstances... If they hang out with bad kids... they will be seen as bad kids.. It's just the way it is - fair or not... Teachers especially will judge them based on their friends... Hang out with the "stoners" and the teacher will not believe a word they say nor will they be given the benefit of the doubt.... I hope that my girls try to surround themselves with good kids.... Kids who get good grades... Who try to practice the art of doing the "right thing"...

The saying "Birds of a Feather Flock Together" is true for the most part.... What is strange about life is that the flocks and the feathers change during the different seasons of our lives.... I have a friend who I have known my entire life... We have gone through thick and thin together... We supported each other during the tough times and cheered each other in the great times... We witnessed marriages... births... losses... just about anything two people can share - we've done it.... Now we are both going through very different seasons in our lives and I find that we no longer have anything in common and this fact saddens me...

You see, my friend is a recovering alcoholic.... She is now very involved in her meetings and her journey into sobriety... I am so very proud of her... But she is now in a very different season in her life and the birds that she is flocking towards are birds that are flying the same path as she is.. In her addiction she has developed newer relationships that are so very different from those she previously had.... I can understand that she needs to surround herself with those who are also conquering their own demons... She needs to be around others she can relate to.... I wish I could relate to what's she is going through but this is a flock that I don't fit into...

Our friendship will always be here... But during this very different season in our lives... Our flights are temporarily flying in different directions.....