Day One Hundred And Fifty Six - Marvel

I don't know what it is, but life apparently decided to dole out a number of curve balls to various people this week. And then they all decided to talk to me about it. Not that I mind, of course. I'm glad people feel so comfortable around me, I'm glad my friends come to me. It's just a little overwhelming sometimes. One friend had a friend die suddenly and unexpectedly this week, after going to too many funerals already this year. Another friend is in a very confusing emotional place that won't stop changing long enough for her to get a grip. Another friend has a dad who can't wrap his head around the fact that if he doesn't agree to surgery, he's going to die. And a coworker just gave me a laundry list of why her life is falling apart and she isn't being overly dramatic about it. If anything it was a little under dramatic. Anyway, the point of all of this is that I would never choose to ignore the vast amounts of pain in this world. My heart grieves for the hurting and broken, it is spent in prayer for those in my life that are feeling the brokenness of the world so strongly. But if I dwelt on it, I'd go insane.

So I don't. I grieve, I pray, I feel, I empathize, and then I let it go, give it to God, and continue to SPARKLE like a MARSHMALLOW. Because I can't change a damn thing by being miserable too. So tonight, rather than being overwhelmed by the bad, I choose to be overwhelmed by the good. 

1)There are no words to express how excited I am about my birthday cake tomorrow. The last time my sister in law made a cake it was full on super mario awesome. She even made gummy goombas. The woman blows my mind.

2) My mind cannot stop marveling over the shape of people's faces. Okay, people I love. When I see the face of a friend, I cannot help but be flooded (briefly) with emotion about how I feel for that person. But that was sight. Now I've graduated to touch. And to touch the face of someone I love is just... wonderful. I trace the features I love the most. I feel the softness of their skin, the muscles that control smiles move beneath my fingers. I've fallen in love with faces. Just because they belong to people I love. 

3) God provides. As some of my friendships stutter and struggle, others grow deeper. As the money situation wobbles, God provides in unexpected ways. As it's time for me to make the changes I've wanted for years, God keeps providing ways for me to make those exact changes.

4) SUNDAY IS MY BIRTHDAY. WOOT!

5) Tomorrow I see my 6 favorite kids in the whole world, work a short shift at the lovely Staples, and then spend the night rocking out to Velvet Finger and whatever Davis' stage name is and maybe, just maybe, get to go on stage and help them sing Wagon Wheel. 

There is too much good in my life to focus on the bad. And here's the thing. When life stops throwing curve balls to these friends, they're not going to need a friend focused on the bad. They're gonna need a sparkly marshmallow to help them see past the bad. Or at least that's my theory on it.