Friday, April 10, 2015

Friday with a Friend - The Beginning

So, I decided I wanted to start something different...a little something I could do every once in a while to let some other people; people that are important to me and make my life meaningful, let those people add something to my blog...just like they add something to my life!

 I stole this idea...somewhat...from a blog I love to read called Enjoying the Small Things. I edited my version a wee bit from a post she originally called Woman Crush Wednesday. The post is a variety of questions that she initially posed to her sister to start off her series on the women in her life that she loves and admires. 

I'm going to answer the questions first as a way to kind of start things off and every other Friday I'll try to post the "conversations" with my friends. 

So - let's get this thing started!


Okay, if this was a real interview…like on TV, I’d need a theme song. What should it be? 
- Something instrumental...edgy; with a tune that catches your attention when you hear it. I'm thinking of theme songs from shows like Game of Thrones and House of Cards, distinctive, intriguing and memorable. That being said, I have no clue what that might sounds like. Maybe someone could make a mash-up of the Game of Thrones and House of Cards themes?

 In the last five years, what was your lowest low and how did you rise above it?
- Wow, well I can't believe I'm going to talk about this...but here we go: in the last five years the lowest low for me was struggling with depression; or maybe more with worrying that I was going to slip back into being depressed. I'm 30 and I struggle a LOT with the fact that I am still unmarried and have no children. Living alone (really alone, seeing as my family was hundreds of miles away) for the first time, not having any close friends nearby and working at a job that really pulled me down; it was really hard for me and I spent a lot of time worrying that I'd end up on depression medication again when I had really bad weeks.

And your highest high?

- A year ago this would have been hard to pinpoint. The highest high for me in the past five years was probably last May when I found out I'd finally sold my house and was going to be moving to Virginia. While that may not seem like a huge moment for some, it was the realization of something I'd been hoping for and dreaming about for almost two years.

Every good movie moment has a song playing in the background. What was the soundtrack for that moment – the highest high?
- Is it too cliche to say the Hallelujah Chorus?? Ha, no - it's not because I swear I heard angels singing at that moment! 

What's the hardest part of raising kids?
- No clue...I don't have any yet! :) 

What's the best part of raising kids?
- No clue...I haven't acquired any kiddos since the last question! 

What quote do you hang on to right now?

- I don't know if I'd say I "hang on" to it, but every since I first heard this quote it has stuck with me and I've kind of adopted it to whisper to myself when I'm in a rough patch...

“Everything will be all right in the end... if it's not all right then it's not yet the end.”
 - Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Okay, tell me about these things and their role in your life and survival through the hard stuff: Creativity, friendship, books and music.

Creativity

- A lot of my creativity (at least in my mind) comes from writing; there are days when the words flow out of my head and onto the paper (or the screen) and on those days, writing feels a lot like a sort of survival. Writing about things; getting them out of my head and written down, it somehow makes things easier to process. I feel like I'm creative in other ways - I've always been fairly good at drawing, I can dance well enough and I can also sing a jaunty tune - but when you discuss creativity and survival, that for me is writing. 
Friendship

- Friends are the family you choose for yourself; I definitely consider my closest friends my family and they've always been a huge source of support when things were hard. I somehow managed to surround myself with friends that don't live as close as I'd like but they never fail to call, send a text message, send a card...to reach out and let me know that they are thinking of me. I believe pretty strongly in the adage that quality is better than quantity, especially where friends are considered - my closest friends I can count on one hand but they're each one 100% in the quality department and I hope I don't ever take that for granted.
Books and music
- Two things that are incredibly important to me. I've been a book worm since I was tiny and I love the escape that books provide. A book can take you across continents, allow you to battle mythical creatures, see worlds that only exist on the page...and you never have to leave your favorite comfy chair. Books are AMAZING. Especially when life is tough, there is a certain relief in being able to escape...even if only for a little while. Music is pretty much the same. I have some of the most varied music taste ever, but regardless of what kind of music it is - I just need music. I kind of like to think that music is the soundtrack of my life and so I usually have some kind of music playing 75% of the time. 

Compare these two things: Your view of yourself ten years ago and your view of yourself now.

- I think ten years ago I thought I had my life figured out; I knew what I was going to do (be a nurse, of course) and I knew that I; like everyone else, would reach a point where I knew what life was all about and know that I had it all together. I think now I realize that no one every really has it all together. No one really "plans" their life and watches it unfold according to those plans. Ten years ago I thought I knew what would make me happy and now I know that very different things are making me happy. 

The heart of man plans his way,
but the LORD establishes his steps... Proverbs 16:9

Random, but fun. Finish the following. I hate when...

...a car passes me and then slows down...
...people are fake; please be authentic...just be yourself... 

And, I love when...


...I laugh so hard at something that I tear up and gasp for breath...
...I get to spend time with my little sister, she's one of my favorite people... 

Three of your favorite women…

- My Momma, my little sister, my lifelong friend Nickolee

If you had to get a tattoo right now, what would it be?
- The earth when you are looking at it from a great distance...hehehe.




Let’s end this with a very important question. What songs are on your playlist right now?

- Okay, I'm slightly embarrassed to admit this but for the past two weeks, I've been listening to almost nothing but One Direction, ha-ha! I've digressed to my preteen-style songs. So, what songs have I been listening to? Well, the most prominent 1D songs I've listened to (because that's what you call them, 1D)...

Rock Me

Little White Lies
You & I
One Thing
Right Now
Night Changes
18
Change Your Ticket
They Don't Know About Us
Midnight Memories

And yes, those are all 1D songs - and I thoroughly enjoy them. So, there you have it! 

1 comment:

  1. i'm not sure if my first post posted so here we go again...

    Natalie - i loved this - so glad you shared your heart...i love you and want to give you a BIG HUG - maybe the Lord will allow that to happen in person one day soon!!!

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