50 Questions (Part Five)

*Sidenote to all mothers*  Do any of you highly recommend a brand/website for Amber Teething Necklaces?  If you could point me in a specific direction, I would appreciate it!

Wow!  So I didn't intend for there to be such a huge pause between these entries... but that is what has happened seeing as it's been almost a year since the last one of these.  Just to refresh those of you who aren't familiar with what I'm talking about, before I had Presley, I actually ran out of things to talk about! *GASP!*  And I stumbled across a neat post that contained 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind.  It's pretty fun so if you'd like to participate, let me know and I will post a link to your blog at the bottom of the entry for other people to enjoy as well.  I've answered questions 1-20 in a few previous posts (part one, part two, part three, part four) and so here goes the next set. 

21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
Absolutely a joyful simpleton.  I am a typically worry-wart on (not because I'm a genius) and it would really be so wonderful to seldomly feel anxious.  And how could you ever pass up being joyful?

22. Why are you, you?
I would say I am the sum of my life experiences thus far... so I am me because of the town I grew up in, the parents who raised me, the sisters I've grown with,  the schools I've attended, the family members who've influenced me, the friends who've stuck around, the little family who loves me and everything in between.  Now, I believe there are greater forces that put me here... it couldn't all be the result of a big accident, could it?

Ultimately, I definitely believe there is a God who put all these things in motion and ultimately, He's why I am who I have these great influences - both good and bad - in my life.

23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
Yes and no.  I am at a point in my life where I just need a lot of space to grow and figure things out and while I still feel so emotionally connected with my friends and think about them so often, I am not the friend anymore who does a lot of hanging out.  It's not that I don't want to be around people, it's just that I feel most of my best friends are off doing the same thing - growing and figuring their lives out - and at the moment we're all going in separate directions.  I've absolutely learned over the last few years that common interests and geographical proximity is what creates the strongest friendships (at the time).  For example: working together, living super close, similar lifestyles, etc.

Ultimately, I say yes because I know the love and support I feel for my friends and say no because I haven't been the most available friend as of late.

24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
Dang, that's a great question.  They're both awful feelings, to be honest.  Whether one situation is worse than the other is dependent on the unique circumstances.  There is always a greater underline cause for a crumbling friendship and it sucks when two people who were such good friends forget how important it is to touch base with one another.  The worst feeling is the moment you realize that your friendship is pretty much over... or at least the bond you once had.  Living nearby a former great friend is tough because bumping into one another casually could be pretty painful.

Ultimately, I'd say the moving away option is the worse of the two because if it wasn't for the geographical distance then you'd probably be able to keep a really solid and awesome friendship going. 

25. What are you most grateful for?
I think right at the moment I'm most grateful for fate.  (Whether it's karma, God, or just the randomness of events that you believe in.)  I love that we THINK we are in control only to figure out our plans never really work out the way we envision.  Sooner or later, fate seems to work in our favor and it's amazing to look at the missteps you've taken along the way to get to where you are now.  If you had chosen A instead of B you would have ended up somewhere vastly different than where you are today and usually, if fate hadn't intervened you wouldn't have some of the major blessings that are currently in your life!  So even though at times it's easy to look back at the past and have regrets, it's really hard for me to spend any amount of time worrying over those things because who knows if I'd be happy had other things worked out rather than failed or the other way around!

Thanks for reading - hope you enjoyed and look forward to hearing what your answers are!