Daily Thoughts

So here we are at the end of another year.  Some of us had a year that was full of happy times, joyful reunions and success while others had a year full of disappoinments, tragedy and sorrow.  Whatever the year brought you did it encourage, inspire, motivate, empower?  Did it make you love those around you more and love things...less?  Did it help you appreciate the small things and the forgotten people?  Did you take better care of yourself due to new medications?  Were your failures used as learning tools to get you to the next level?  I could go on and on but what I need to know, and what I need you to recognize is that, this year holds the OLD you.  What will the new year hold? I pray a new you.  I pray a new outlook on life.  I pray a new level of courage and thinking. I pray a closer relationship with the Lord our God.  I pray more love and less hate.  Bad things happen but we cannot change them..we can only learn from ...

Christmas has come again and gone and the memories made with family and friends will be lasting but the one thing you don't want to remember each holiday season...is the loss of a loved one.  Every Memorial Day I remember my mother, Bennie Stevens, who parted this earth and there is always a tear in my eye when that day rolls around.  Now, I have a new memory...my soul brother, my friend, my theater lover and my confidant...Paul Walls...has parted this earth yesterday....my heart cries for his family he has left behind, a brother and little sister and my heart cries for his close friends and associates.  Yes, those are true heart cries but there are other reasons my heart cries. My heart cries because there was soooo much potential inside of him that in some ways got out but in others was put on hold due to his own grief over the loss of his brother in 2006 and his mother in 2013.  Yes he was a director and playwright and directed several of his plays.  He was...

So here we are...at the crest of another Christmas...the stockings are hung by the chimney with care...chestnuts roasting on an open fire...jack frost has certainly been nipping at our noses but everyone is not...Merry.  During the holidays, as well as other seasons of the year, there are those of us who are very sad...very depressed..very discouraged...very lonely and as a society we must recognize that not everyone is having a very Merry Christmas...or even a Happy Holidays as some like to put it.  There are those among us who are dealing with the loss of a loved one...the loss of a job...the loss of companionship...just loss and in that loss, with all of the couples holding hands and families shopping together and gift buying...they are alone.  I know there are some of us who WANT to be left alone so that we may breathe...but there are others of us who wish we had a companion..wish we had children to buy for..wish we had a family to spend the holidays with...and they...

As a child this scripture, which comes from Ephesians 4:26, was just that, scripture.  But as a woman the meaning behind this scripture means so much.  In light of what happened in Ferguson, the decision not to indict Officer Wilson, is stiffling.  Am I angry, yes.  Would I have liked to see a decision to indict Wilson, of course but just because I am angry and upset at our justice system, I cannot and will not use my anger against anyone or anything.  We all have a voice and our voices can be heard clearly if we protest in the spirit of calm and order.  Looting businesses, setting on fire buildings and police cars, stealing and even using our fists will not bring Michael Brown back nor will it prove we should...be heard.  It will only create more violence especially among those who have already set it in their hearts...to do so. So what should we do?  Well for starters, not participate in the looting, shooting, fire setting and fist pumpin...

Today we celebrate Veterans all around the world who have given their lives for the freedom of our country.  For the freedom of us...so that we may live, move and have our very being within the corners of this great nation.  It is because of them who have served and are serving that we can enjoy some basic freedoms.  These men and women gave up their lives, gave up family time, gave up home cooked meals and night outs just so they could protect...us.  Is that not enough to honor them? Were you on the front lines in battle?  Were you lying in a hospital bed from war wounds?  Did you lose limbs...the ability to think clearly...the ability to speak...the ability to run...and for some the ability to see?  Was that you? These brave men and women are to be honored not just today, but everyday.  We live every day as if it were more to come while these men and women live everyday as if it were their last.  THEY DESERVE OUR HONOR AND OUR PRAISE!...

Today is election day and I hope that if you have not already cast your vote...that you will.  It is so important to the success of our country that you, make your voice heard.  I hear so many say, "I won't be voting in this election, it is not the presidential election" or "it doesn't count anyway, why bother?"  WHY BOTHER???  Hummm maybe because of those who came before us who were not able to vote.  Maybe because of their sacrifice, their suffering, their lynching, their beatings...maybe because of Jim Crow..because back then we were not considered among those who "counted" is why we should bother. Every election is important and every person's vote is just as important.  You may not have an immediate need or know of anyone who does, but there is always a need for us to place individuals who are fair minded, who will listen to both sides, who will make sound decisions, who are not swayed by the majority or even minority..those who care abo...

It's been a while since my last post but I wanted to talk about a celebration.  We all have celebrations...birthday...anniversary...graduation...and some would even say when a loved one dies...that is a celebration of their homegoing...but today I want to talk homecomings...what a celebration indeed.  As I sit here, North Carolina A&T State University is celebrating their annual homecoming and oh, if you have never been in Greensboro, NC during one of these...you really miss a treat.  It seems to start with Sunday before homecoming with events and throughout the week, you have pep rallys, speeches, step shows, comedy shows, day parties, and of course on homecoming day, a parade, the homecoming football game, followed with many tailgaters, vendors, and night parties along with concerts.  WHAT A WEEK!  In my mind, as a resident of Greensboro all of my life...there is no better celebration when it comes to college.  In my early childhood I always looked ...

Things happen in our lives...some of which we can explain while others...we have no clue but when things happen that we are aware of we need to...take note.  There will be people who at times, say they are in your corner...say they are team YOU, say they support you and LOVE you...but later on their actions will tell you just how YOU they are.  We, as a people, have to be careful not to let everyone in our inner court...inner circle.  We have to be careful to not only listen...but to look.  Yes, there will be those who are for you, and love you and support you and will do all they can to make you know that...but there are others and these others are who I want to write about today. Not everyone who says, "yes" means yes.  Let me explain.  You are a target...when you are about purpose and are doing all you can in your limited power to make things happen..whether in business or deed...there will be those watching who want a piece of the action...YOU.  ...

There is something to be said about having your voice heard.  There is also somethng to be said about being heard without saying..a word.  That is where I'd like to focus today.  There are times in our lives we need to "voice" our thought or our opinions to have our "voice" heard or our vote counted.  But there are other times when there is nothing we need to say.  It is at those time we need to let our silence speak for us.  Every debate is not for us.  Every circumstance or situation we find others in..does not require a word from us...most times they require prayer..they require thought and sometimes, they even require nothing at all.  We do not alway have to "say" anything for our voices to be heard or our desires to be known.  Remember, actions speak louder than words and in most cases what you don't do, will show others exactly how you feel or what you think about a certain matter.  Every fight...is not OUR fight! I kno...

Delivered - Rhabi Rites : Xlibris

In this day and time we are faced with all kinds of dangers...but the one danger we are faced with that seems new to everyone...is an old danger that has been somewhat ignored.  We hear of ISIS and the Taliban..we hear of crimes happening all over the world from domestic violence in our NFL to children left in cars...but the one thing that underlies all of these dangers is something..that has been around since the beginning of time.  Our minds.... When you get to the bottom of it all...crime starts where...adultery starts where....feeling insignificant and insecure starts where...feeling one can overtake the world or feeling that "I can  jump the fence to the White House starts where...in...our...minds!  That's right...the bible declares in Proverbs 23:7 "for as a man thinketh in his heart...so is he"...so this mind danger has been around for quite some time.  Look at Cain and Able...look even before that at the serpent who spoke to Eve in the garden.  He...

It is domestic violence awareness month and I applaud all of those who have had the courage to step away from those who have been abusing them...and even those who are waiting for the chance.  I even applaud those who want to leave but at the present moment...can't...why...because they have the heart to do so but their lives may be in danger of the lives of their children...and my prayer is that the opportunity to leave will present itself...soon.  But for those who have chosen to stay for whatever reason...no applause for you...why..because you are blind to what is happening to you physically, mentally, sexually in some cases and even spiritually.  You stay because you love them...and because you think things will get better..... Your abuser does not...love you.  Your abuser is not sorry every time they use your face as a punching bag.  Your abuser is not pitiful as he or she...may seem.  Your abuser is a monster who needs help...help you cannot giv...

It's Monday again and I am sure you have something to raise your glass to.  What did you accomplish last week?  What new project did you start?  What new contacts did you make?  If you have an answer to all of these questions, a positive answer, then you should raise your glass.  Each new day we should strive to go a little further...to dream a little bigger...to start a little sooner...and when you do, you have made a major step in fulfilling your dreams...raise your glass! When they said you could not do it, that you did not have what it takes...and you not only did it but did it with a sense of pride and fulfillment...raise your glass! When they said you would be nothing or amount to anything and you not only amounted but have become quite a success...raise your glass! When you have been turned down and neglected or your talents have been placed in the "look at later or trash pile" and finally got a call or email from somone interested and you became ex...

It is so amazing to me how much information we transmit...by mouth.  Oh yeah this is the information age and we have desk top computers, lap tops, ipads, tablets, smart phones, nooks...we can even use skype, webex, face time...we have lots of ways to get in touch with people and communicate without even making any physical contact...but the one thing that has been with us since the beginning of time...the one thing that has carried conversation before all of our awesome technological advances...is our mouths.  Yes, we should use our mouths to voice things that can be miscommunicated by a gadget...we should use our mouths to answer the questions asked by us from our teachers to our Pastors to our friends...we should even use our mouths to shout the praises of our awesome God...but what we should not use our mouths for...is gossip.  Yes that ugly but internationally used form of communication still rings in heavy today.  I wonder what we would do if we could not goss...

As a mother it is so difficult to let go of your children, especially when it is time to do so.  Just recently I had to let my son go...after several years of trying to help him and trying to "grow" him, I realized that the only way this will happen is if I...let go.  Many teenagers go off to college after high school and it is then their parents have to learn to let them go so that they may become independent and realize what life is all about.  For their formative years, we as parents held on to them to nurture them and to protect them.  We knew where they were, how they were eating, when they were sleeping, etc., but when the time comes to let them go...you know...nothing. We pray that everything you have instilled in them will manifest itself once they are out from under our protective covering...but we can only...hope.  My son did not go off to college.  He did not even finish high school because he didn't want to "do it" any longer.  That ...

It has been a while since my last blog but it has been for good reason.  On Wednesday, August 27, 2014, I became a grandmother to a beautiful little boy, Mason Aamar.  He was 7 pounds 7 ounces and 19 inches long...and let me tell you...it was certainly a moment in time when he came into the world.  Have you ever witnessed a live birth?  If not, I believe it is something that will give you a new perspective on life..to see a new human being...a new life come into the world...is a blessing. It also brought to mind how we as people have to wait...wait through the pain...wait through the pressure wait...through the agony...we have to wait until it's time.  Ruphani, Mason's mother, had dialated to a 10 and though normally you would start pushing...they asked her to wait.  They said that if they waited, it would allow Mason to press his way through the birth canal...on his own and then when he had made some progress or in their words, "looked like it had b...

You may have had a rough day yesterday...but be enouraged.  You may have heard news that did not set well with you...but be encouraged.  You may have been talked about...left to do a project all alone..left out of the "popular" circle...or even just felt discouraged because your life does not seem to be moving in the direction you thought it would...but be encouraged.  You see, things and people we cannot control...they will do for us one day and do us in...the next...but what you can do is to be encouraged because when you are encouraged...you in turn encourage others. When they hear your story of triumph and success...when they hear you overcame the odds...when they hear instead of cursing him out...you told him you love him and wished him well...they will be encouraged by the fact that if you did it, they can do it too.  We feel that if we give up..things will be ok or if we give in...they will get better or if we give out...we won't have to worry about them any...

We were all born with an innate desire to become...something.  From childhood we have been asked "what do you want to be when you grow up" from our parents to our grandparents to our relatives and friends.  It is one of the first questions we hear when we start attending school and seems to create the most pressure as we grow older.  For centuries it has been implied that we become what our parents have envisioned us to be...but as I grow in wisdom and grace...it is not about..."us."  Our children have that desire to be something from the very beginning and if we just sit back and allow those "talents and skills" to develop, we may find that they begin to work towards that desire...all by themselves.  Of course we need to encourage and of course we need let them know we are interested and of course we need to invite questions about their "career" choice but do we need to change or alter them just because they do not meet "our" expectati...

As I made my morning drive into work this song came on and I have to say, I love it!  Not so much the lyrics, but the meaning behind it all...when we build our businesses...turn up!  When we write our books, turn up!  When we create new designs, turn up!  When we perform on stage, turn up!  When we live our lives...turn up!  The way we love, turn up!  The way we help, turn up! Why would you turn down?  Your life is as great as you make it!  Your brand is as marketable as you make it!  Your business is as successful as you make it so turn up!  Turn up when it comes to marketing.  Turn up when it comes to branding.  Turn up when it comes to singing that new song or writing that new book!  Turn Up!  Now there are times when you should turn down.  Turn down to negative, hidden agendas...turn down to negative people and their draining issues..turn down to those who remember your past and try to sabatoge your ...

Well yesterday at work proved to be as productive as my other days have been but when I got home...with the expectation of a rehearsal for my upcoming play...everything changed.  My son had a few errands to run and I told him I had to be headed to the rehearsal around 6:15...well 6:15 came...6:30...6:45 and at this moment...I was one heated woman when he came home around 6:55...I wanted to strangle him...I was so upset I couldn't even look at him...I had already texted the cast alerting them that I would either be late and if I had to cancel rehearsal...would text again.  WE HAVE A SHOW IN 14 WEEKS!! Needless to say, rehearsal was cancelled.  I was not happy.... So I decided to go out and get me some dinner from Smokey Bones...I needed to cool off and the brisket is awesome...I would use the rest of what seemed to be a hurdle as some extra time to write and work on finishing the biography I am working on...to no avail.  Not only was my cable out..the inte...

This morning all I could think about was smiling...why should I smile?  My other question would be...why not?  I'm here...breathing...moving...able to feed myself and able to stand..able to walk and talk...able to hear and be heard...able to see and feel and taste...that in itself is a lot to smile about.  If you ever took a moment and thought about all the people who do not enjoy these basic things...you would find that you too...have a lot to smile about. Smiling does not mean everything is great...it just means you are determined to smile in the midst of it.  Remember the commercial whose tagline was..."never let them see you sweat"...well that is the mindset I have adopted to my life.  I sometimes smile when I should be crying...I sometimes smile when I am in pain...and I sometimes smile when my heart is breaking...I smile...because I can.  And you know what, it helps me to get through my day. It can help you too besides, it is great exercise for yo...

Relationships can be difficult at times because what has been between two people...comes between two people.  In any relationship, whether you have good intentions or not, there will always be something that has happened to one's past...that comes up in the present.  The way we deal with it...is what makes the difference.  No two people are perfect and no relationship is either...what makes it work is the willingness on the hearts of the two involved.  So you had a horrible break-up before you met him...and...so she used you and tossed you aside like yesterday's trash...and...is that the responsibility of the person you are in relationship with now...should they suffer the consequences of your past...should they have to hear about "what she did", or "what he did" for the duration of your relationship?  I think not! What happens now is you have to be willing to put aside what happened and embrace...what is.  This new person in your life deserves a fresh st...

Peace in the midst of the storm...sounds crazy huh?  As I think on how things seem so uneasy right now in the middle east...and uneasy right now in Ferguson...and even uneasy in some of our own neighborhoods...I still have peace.  The Malaysia Flight 17 crash...Israel..Gaza and now Afghanistan...how can they have peace?  How can those affected with the Ebola virus..have peace... How can the families of the victims have peace...how can those trying to create order have peace..how can we as on lookers...have peace?  Every time we look around there is something creating unrest..something that creates an uneasy feeling in all of our hearts and minds...we are sometimes too scared to walk out of our own homes...too scared to voice our opinion on what is happening...too scared to make a move towards progress when others are in so much turmoil and pain.  HOW CAN YOU HAVE PEACE?  It seems that when communities are being torn apart by a violent act there follo...

This morning my thoughts were about Friday.  What it means to most of us.  Why we work so hard to get here.  I enjoy Fridays simply because they bring the "promise" of some time off.  Although time off is just two days for most of us, unless we are taking vacation, those two days mean time away from the busy days at work...time away from crazy co-workers...time away from deadlines and schedules...just...time off.  We fight 4 days a week, most of us, to get through each day so that we can make it one day closer...to Friday.  We rush about our day as if tomorrow wouldn't come any sooner without it.  And then when we finally get to Friday...that mad rush we have made all week seems to be worth it for in just a day...we will be enjoying the weekend. This hurry up and wait society we live in has taken over our lives to the point that when we do slow down..we feel as if we are missing something or forgot to do something or should be somewhere other than......

This morning I was thinking about myself...yes..myself.  Ever since I was a small baby and grew a little older...I knew..I was adopted.  I was placed in a foster home at the age of 5 months old...and later adopted.  Many children today are foster children or adopted for one reason or another...but have you ever wondered how this makes them feel?  Did it ever occur to you that a child that is placed in another home away from their biological parents...feels misplaced?  Have you ever wondered if that child felt...loved or appreciated or even...wanted?  Well being a child who has been through this...all of these feelings I have experienced. It is one thing to grow up in a home where both parents are there for you and it is even another thing to grow up in a home where at least one parent resides...but it is something entirely different to grow up in a home where neither parent is blood related to you...or to grow up in a home where your parents...c...

What a beautiful morning...the grass is green and the birds are singing...we are living..moving and having our being...all on this...beautiful morning.  Each new day brings new opportunities...new obstacles even new adventures...and with each new day..we should bring something new to it.  What would that be you might ask...well a new attitude...a new way to approach a new day...a new idea...a new outlook on life...that is what we should bring to each...new day.  Yesterday and all that it brought around you and to you..is gone.  Yes, we may be dealing with the issues of yesterday...still...and we may be dealing with the failures of yesterday...still...and we may even be dealing with the people who brought hurt and pain to us yesterday...still...but the WAY we deal with all of it...should be new.  We often talk about change...well change happens when we ourselves...change.  We may still be waiting on an unanswered prayer or waiting for the results of a test o...

This week I’m participating in the “Writing Process World Blog Tour." I was invited to join by Author Jennifer Davies.    Jennifer is a wife of eighteen years and is married to her best friend and her biggest critic! She is a mother of four very active boys who constantly keep her on her toes and give their share of sleepless nights, but they are her greatest source of pleasure and pride. Reading is a love of hers, and some of her favorite authors inlcude Jodi Picoult, Deborah Harkness and Cassandra Clare. Through her love of reading she developed a thirst and passion for writing. Jennifer has written her first YA romantic fantasy titled Children of Annwn:The Promise due for release in September, and she is currently writing the second and third book in the series. The story centers around Mia Leronde who is from the Otherworld a magical realm hidden to humans through magic. After falling in love, and undertaking the Promise an ancient law she is sent into the h...

Good morning, this morning I had random thoughts...thoughts of feeling secure.  In this world we live in where things and people seem to be more and more unsteady, we find ourselves searching for something or someone who will make us feel...secure.  We do this because with all of the uncertainty..wars ...deadly diseases...gang shootings...murders...homelessness...famine and horrible storms of nature...we need something or someone who will make us feel..certain.  It's human nature to want to feel this way but in the scheme of things..it was always God's way.  You see, without Him...we are nothing...without Him...we will fail and if we do not recognize the need for His presence in our lives..we will sail away just like the song says..."just like a ship..without a sail."  Is that what we want?  Do we want to spend the rest of our lives...searching for something that has been before us all along?  I think not.  I believe in my heart that though this l...

Love...what can we say about it...what can't we say about it...I love the word and all it entails.  This past weekend, I witnessed a beautiful union between two wonderful people.  Yes there was fanfare and a lot of hoopla...yes there were gorgeous decorations and beautiful dresses...and yes there were beautiful love songs played along with a wonderful soloist...but the foundation of it all...was love.  the most beautiful thing that can happen between two of God's creation..is love.  It encompasses all...it endures all...it hopes all...it believes all..it tries all...it is a word that God Himself placed into aciton when He gave us His son Jesus...and it is a word that will continue to flourish throughout our generation and generations to come. Have you ever loved?  Have you ever experienced love from another human being?  Are you currently in love...ahhhh what joy that brings to my soul to hear of another loving...another.  I am a woman who loves...lo...

In this morning's blog...though late...I want to talk about being sure of yourself.  When we were young, our parents taught us to "never let them see you sweat"...or "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me"..those type of sayings that were said to keep us sure of who we are.  Life...happens..and when it does...there are some things in this life that are meant and created to make us feel unsure...uncertain of what we know we were created to do...when we are working on our mission or our purpose or our passion..we need to make sure that whatever comes, whatever happens we do not lose focus of what we were created to do...what we were missioned to accomplish.  You may be in a place right now of where you are unsure of why you were placed here on this earth.  You may have told you would never amont to anything.  That you were a failure because your parents were failures or even have heard from loved ones you were "nothing."  But ...

I must say that this morning my thoughts were geared towards relationships.  We often say and think that if a relationship does not work, it is because we were with the wrong person and though that is true for most cases...it is not for all.  You see, God revealed to me this morning that there have been times when we were with the right person...but we ourselves were in the "wrong" place.  Our mindset, our thoughts, our beliefs have sometimes led to the relationship going sour and it had nothing to do with that person but everything to do with us...there are times when we actually have met the person who can build us up..the person who will encourage us and be in our corner no matter what...that person who will love us to the best of their ability...but we were not ready...for them.  We have to be honest with ourselves and take a look back...when did you say, "they treated me wrong" or "he or she was a good person to be in relationship with but they cheated......

Here we are, it's Wednesday and what a day it will be.  I know, the day has hardly started...it is still new and nothing detrimental has happened...or has it.  Have you ever stopped to think about the millions of people who woke up in devastation...without food to eat...those persons who are battling a deadly disease...or maybe even those whose spouse left last night...never to return.  Maybe you have given thought to those persons, like myself...who have battled abuse of any form..and those who still are....Have any of these thoughts ever entered...your mind.  Each new day is a new opportunity for all of us...to start again.  God gives us each day to do..just that.  Devastation hits all of us at one point, and the way we handle it...is what brings us out of it, thanking God...for a new day.  I embrace each and every day as a gift...for that is what it is...it is not something we deserved...for if you are like me..there were thoughts and deeds that did...

There is an old saying, "do as I say, not as I do", that has resonated with me from the beginning.  In fact, if I were to take a poll, many of you would say you've heard this as well and it has somehow been a foundation to how you live your life, and how you raise your kids.  But in this day and time, when ideas seem to be running low and originality seems to be a thing of the past...people are doing as they see others..do.  What do I mean by that?  Well, if one person has an idea of a challenge, and you all know what I am talking about...someone else has to "do it."  We want to be the next "star" or person whose video gets the most "views" but have we ever stopped to think that these "doings" are making us "foolish?"  When you see someone on television do something and many times they will say, "do not try this at home", what in us makes us want to do it?  What is our drive?"  Where is our logic?"  Doe...

And so it is...another weekend has come and gone.  What did you accomplish?  Did you get that much needed rest you've beeen talking about?  Did you start that new project or begin writing that book?  Or have you come to the conclusion that because you never get anything done that your weekends are just that...an end to another week?  I believe that most people take weekends as they come...a time to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  A time to renew those friendships and relationships that have been placed on hold due to your heavy work load.  A time to laugh and get caught up on old news.  And yet for some, a time to just be...you.  You know, we work on everything else in our lives but fail sometimes to work on what is most important for our lives...ourselves.  Yes you!  You need time to reflect on your past to see just how far you have come.  You need time to think about memories of loved ones who have pass...

Have you ever thought...I made it to a new day...has your week been such that you didn't feel you would?  It's a new day, a new opportunity, a new time, a new moment to do what you've been waiting to do and even if you aren't waiting to do something...you might just be waiting for something..to be over.  We all have our trials and tribulations..we all struggle each and every day to be a better "us" and we all have moments that seem unbearable...but friends...it's a new day.  That situation, that heartache, that failure, that failed relationship...have all fallen to a new day.  Take in this day...breathe in the air and wait...something inside of you has caused you to press forward.  Something inside said, "it's not over until it's over", or "you're stronger than you really know."  We are all born with inner strength that allows us to keep pressing forward...shake it off...turn the other cheek.  Easy, not by a long shot...doab...

It has already been a strange morning.  I woke up, fine...ready to tackle a new day.  My son had asked to use my car to get a haircut today...fine, and I had several tasks to complete at work.  So, I'm up getting ready and I noticed that instead of waking my son up...he was already dressed and downstairs.  I thought, oh, he's early but better yet, I won't have to drag him out of bed which usually throws me behind.  I walk downstairs only to find him lying on the couch, almost unaware of me standing there looking at him.  I say, "hey are you ready", and he replies, "I'm not going"....this young man who was exicted about getting his hair cut...he's trying to keep it neat...was almost lifeless.  I asked him "why not", but he said, "just not going."  You see, when he is this way, there is always something that has dampened his spirit...whether it be his girlfriend...or a friend getting on his nerves...or just feeling down about wh...

As I sit here thinking about friendship, I am reminded about what a true friend...is.  I mean let's face it.  We all at one point in our lives have had...friends..but have we really experienced true friendship.  You know, those friends who you can call upon at anytime day or night for any reason to talk about any problem.  Those friends who reserve judgement and just...listen.  Those friends who know your past, rejoice in your present and encourage your future.  How many of us have those true friends?  I have to say, not many.  Yes we have those friends who are with us during times of joy and pure happiness.  Times we are enjoying great success and total fulfillment.  But who is really there when we are feeling less than perfect.  When we have lost all hope?  When we are facing some devastating circumstances?  When we are just...down...who is really there to encourage us and to offer a hand?  ...