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What I Learned About Life from My Friends

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The structure of part of a DNA double helixImage via Wikipedia

Written by Karen D. Swim

There are people who have been blessed with great beauty, others with inredible talent, still others with an abundance of wealth but I have been blessed with awesome friends! I could write an encyclopedia extolling the virtues of my friends but will limit my gushing to just a few in the space of one blog post.

From the first day her heels quickly clicked across the parking lot for our very first field travel I knew we would be friends. Her shoes tapped out a happy energy that matched her radiant smile.  Sonya is one of my best friends and taught me that the bond of sisterhood does not require shared DNA.  We are the sister each never had, so close in temparement and spirit that even her Dad recognizes me as a daughter. We have weathered the storms of life together growing closer with each challenge.

When she opted for a double mastectomy following a breast cancer diagnosis, we flew to Arizona for a Spa Day to celebrate saying good-bye to her breasts. We found the joy in living and taking control. When the surgery was over we giggled as we decorated the drains with a lei and marveled that she would be bra free for life.

Sonya shares my joy for life and has taught me that life is not always easy but always better when shared with a friend.

My friend Gina has shown me that becoming a young widow is not the end but a new beginning.  We were friends before our husbands got sick and after my husband’s death and then hers our bond was further strengthened. Her boxing, dancing, motorcycle riding zest for life have taught me to seize the day and to not be limited by my age or marital status.  She also taught me that you can look good and throw a mean punch!

Joanna Young and Amy Palko have shown me that words have a color and rhythm.  They have taught me to both respect the art of writing and enjoy the freedom it brings. Through them my lens on the world has widened and my curiosity has found room to roam and grow. They have also taught me that no matter how old you are, giggling with girlfriends on a Saturday gives your spirit a much needed lift, even when it is shared across the miles.

Ellen Wilson has shown me that wearing your heart on your sleeve is a symbol of strength and beauty.  Her sensitivity to the world around her, compassion for others and intelligent mind add to her natural beauty.  She has taught me the importance of honoring those with whom we share the planet and the joy in dancing around a good bonfire.

I have learned from all of my friends that joy does not not come from “stuff” but from those who share the journey with you. Each person that I call friend has enriched my life and deepened my experience.

This post was written as part of the Middle Zone Musings Group Writing Project, What I Learned From My Friends.

Well, you know what comes next? Yep! It’s your turn! What have you learned from your friends? Share your stories here and let us laugh, cry, and cheer as you share your life lessons.

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Life is Like A Moon Bounce

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Written by Karen D. Swim

Yesterday, my family gave a surprise party to celebrate my mother’s 70th birthday.  The first thing I saw when I arrived on the street was the top of the moon bounce peeking over the top of my sister’s house.  (A moon bounce is kind of like an enclosed trampoline, except bouncier.)  Now this could make things a lot more interesting! After carrying food and flowers to the yard, I chatted and laughed with family as we waited for the birthday “girl” to arrive.

After 20 minutes, I could no longer hold out and placed my high heel shoes next to the row of tiny sneakers and pink moccasins. Heck, they didn’t have these things when I was growing up and it looked fun. While whooping and hollering it up with the kids and my nutty cousin Lisa (who is my age and crawled in right before me) it occurred to me that life is a lot like a moon bounce.

The window of opportunity is sometimes a tiny opening. To get into the moon bounce, there is a tiny little opening at the top of a small ramp.  You can’t just walk up and enter the bounce.  You have to walk up (without falling off the side) and then propel or slither your way in under a flap that opens just a wee bit.  In life, some opportunities are behind the tiniest of doors. They may not even appear immediately visible. However,  when you make it up the ramp and shimmy through, you are pleasantly surprised on the other side.

Bouncing on one side causes imbalance. If you bounce on one side of the moon bounce you risk sliding downward. Bouncing in the middle is ideal allowing you to veer a little to the left, or right with no risk of injury.  When you bounce on one side in life (such as work) you risk the other things sliding off to the side.

It’s easier to bounce higher once you have momentum. Once you find your footing and are bouncing up and down, it is much easier to bounce just a little higher without much effort.  Sometimes in your life you’re on a roll, or a bounce. You have tackled a challenge or completed a major project and your confidence is pretty high. In those moments, it is easy to get started on a new goal or accept another challenge because you are already in the air.

When bouncing around, keep your eyes alert. While bouncing up and down, me and my nephew decided on flips at the exact same moment. Like two unwiedly underwater acrobats, we dove from opposite directions and collided. Luckily, only his hands smacked me in the head as he landed across me. We collapsed in giggles.  Sometimes we are going along in life, bouncing around and out of nowhere (or so it seems) an obstacle collides in our pathway. It’s important to keep your eyes open so that you don’t crash!

After moon bouncing, and later being bounced off the ramp to the grass, I was a little less than ahem photo ready.  Life can toss you around at times too. You may fall down, and even get smacked in the head, but nothing that can’t be all forgotten with a little cake!

How, about you? How’s your bounce these days? Are you soaring high or tumbling around? What are your tips for staying grounded while still enjoying life?

This entry is a contribution to Robert Hruzek’s August Group Writing Project, Metaphors for Life. If you would like to participate, there is still plenty of time.  The deadline for entries is August 10th.  Thanks Robert for allowing me to explore the ongoing hilarity of life with this project!

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In the Zone

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Written by Karen D. Swim

Robert Hruzek is on vacation and was crazy er nice enough to ask me to guest post in his absence.  Since I don’t want to go down in history as the guest poster who killed Robert’s blog, will you help me out by visiting over there today?  Robert has a great community over there and if you’re not a regular reader , you’re in for a treat. This week he has an incredible all star line-up and I hope in addition to helping me out you’ll visit this week and show his guests some love. I hope to see you at the Zone!