Heavy

I have a lot of friends who are going through quite a bit right now. It is really easy to get caught up in their struggles b/c you care so much. Many of them are struggling with marital problems. Marriage is difficult and you really have to work at it.

I don't understand marriage to be honest with you. It is this really bizarre relationship. I also don't understand women who stay in abusive situations. My roommates and I were talking about this when I was up in Nashville. One of my roommate's friends is suffering from an emotionally abusive relationship which is just as devastating as physical abuse. There is no band aid for emotional abuse and most women don't talk about it. We just discussed how we can't understand why women stay involved in that. I guess they do it for the kids, security, financial reasons, etc. I just don't understand it! Oh well.

Marriage is bizarre b/c you live with this person, you share everything, they know everything about you (most everything) and nobody can tell you before you do it how difficult it can be.
I have a friend who puts up w/ so much crap and I just don't understand it. The argument can be it is b/c I don't have kids and so I can't understand. I think if you are in an emotionally abusive situation you are dishonoring yourself and your kids to stick around! That is just my opinion.....

Moving on. Marriage can also be a beautiful thing if you are married to your best friend. My grandmother once gave me some GREAT words of advice. She said, " Honey, do not marry someone you can live WITH. Marry someone you cannot live WITHOUT!" How brilliant is that? Did I follow her advice? I thought I did. I mean, being the independent woman that I feel I am, I don't feel I can't live without anyone. I will met people wherever I go and can be successful in things that I am passionate about. That is when I realize it is a decision for me to need someone and love someone in a marital relationship.

O.k..... this is too deep for me. I am off to Lowe's to look for a new faucet b/c mine broke and the water drips. It bugs me to listen to it.
Have a great evening.

Hugs to all.
J

Summer

WOW! I can't believe summer has come and gone. It seems pretty impossible, but I guess it makes sense since mine was so busy! I had a GREAT summer and I went to many cool places and did many very FUN things.

In late May I went to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. That was a ton of fun except for the good times with American Airlines. In July I went to San Diego, CA with very special friends. My very best friend and I went with her two kids. We had a great time. I saw many cool sights such as the Kodak theatre (we went on a tour of that), Jerry from the Bachlorette, LA, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and all that goes along with that. We also went to a Padres game and it was really fun! I could go and on about how great that trip was.

In late July I went up to Nashville to see my college roommates. It seems as though when we are together it is as if time never moved on. We always seem to pick right back up where we left off. This time was VERY different. We seemed to have all been in the same place. We discussed our similarities and differences about life, but we all came back to some of the same feelings that we had all really suppressed a time or two in our lives. It is crazy (very) how our lives are so extremely parallel. It is almost a bit scary!! We lived the week as if we were in college again only it was better. We were LEGAL and in college.... which makes our being together even more dangerous! I really miss them more than I can explain. Life is very very crazy, reckless, and at times way too intense for our liking. I love my girls so very much and it is amazing how unbelievably in sinc we all are.

They have kids and I don't. I love to be free but I also feel a sense of emptiness. They love their children but are in a strange way jealous of my freedom to roam in my life. I am a bit jealous of my life as well b/c I have a good one.

I recently made an incredible playlist on my Ipod that reminds me of that week in Nashville. I will go again soon to be w/ them. I look very forward to running marathons again and running some w/them. I remember in college I used to beg them to run w/ me and now they are running like nothing else. What would really be cool is if we could all live in the same town and hang out all the time........ sigh..... how cool. Nashville would never be the same.... nor would we.

Oh well. I could go on and on but I won't. I am up b/c I can't sleep and I hate that feeling.
Good night friends. It is a lonely night. One of those nights that you wish you knew your neighbors and you could go hang out on the patio and talk for hours. At least I wish I had a neighbor like that. I haven't had one of those in this crazy town.

Happy ................... um..... happy .... day?? Month? August?

Good night.
J