I'm back home following a two and a half week work-vacation in San Francisco. I've had a few good moments of solitude to reflect upon life on my way back to New York City. One of the things I determined a long time ago is that the life that I am living is one that is better than I ever imagined for myself and that I am a pretty lucky person. And that luck doesn't stem from the family I was born into, or any extraordinary personal characteristics; if you've met me you'd know I'm a pretty ordinary Jane. Rather, my luck has been fulfilled by the incredible friends I've made along the way, people who have enriched to my life so deeply.
I've hesitated for a very long time to write this post, because the words never seemed to do justice to the profound love and gratitude that I have for my friends - appreciation that is painfully awkward for me to express sometimes. They've given me so much to look forward to, so many great memories to get misty eyed over, and they continue to inspire me to become a better human being.
With as little as I know about life, I am comforted by one thing that I know for sure: I am who I am because of my friends.
Very beautiful and inspiring post Christine! The photo's are so lovely as usual!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
Ah, we usually focus on what's wrong in our lives not what's right. It is so refreshing to pause and take in what we are so fortunate to have and really appreciate how it has enriched us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that reminder.
Hey Christine, that is so sweet. It's important to self analyze and in doing so realize things like appreciation for the ones that love and and do so much to make life worth living...
ReplyDeleteVery Sweet. Oh, and I love the photo of the road. I don't know why-it's just peaceful or something.
Oh this is the sweetest post ever - I love it!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely, thoughtful post, Christine. Friends add so much richness and joy to life.
ReplyDeletebeutiful post,your introspection is very touching!
ReplyDeleteWhat a heartfelt and lovely tribute to your friends. I'm amazed by the picture of that flower--what kind is it?
ReplyDeleteGood friends, I truly believe, are the key to happiness. Perfectly said.
ReplyDeleteI'm also back after a long vacation :-) I'm glad that you had a great time with friends..
ReplyDeleteOh, that's so sweet!! =) Fabulous photo of the building.
ReplyDeleteChristine, what a great moving post and I doubt if you are a plain Jane! You are a very caring lady for sure who knows what's important in life! I love the highway photo!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post♥
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for your kind comments! TKW - the flower is a passion fruit bloom off of a vine growing in Telegraph Hill of San Francisco.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right gratitude is one of the hardest emotions to convey, you did a great job. Lovely post.
ReplyDeleteMimi
Having met and spent some time with you Christine, you're not a plain Jane! =) Your post is so sweet and makes me appreciate what I have as well.
ReplyDeleteIt is so easy to complain. I know some folks don't like that I don't complain about my children on my blog, because they do and that is what they want to do!! LOL. But you can always look at the glass half full or half empty. You can always see either the good or the bad; sometimes both. And our health is impacted by our thoughts as much as it's impacted by what we eat! So I truly believe in looking for the good in everything!
ReplyDeleteI Agree with High Low! You are so NOT a plain Jane. I was touched by how generous you were the first time I met you, willing to take me to Chelsea Market and spend an afternoon showing me around. That was so fun. :)
ReplyDeleteChristine, this is such a lovely post! But you are definitely NOT a Plain Jane! It is always fun to spend time with you!
ReplyDeleteA lovely sentiment. We are all shaped by the people we know- both good and bad. But friends they are truly the gold. I have been lucky to have the friends I have in my life. I have to also say that in order to have good firends you have to be a good friend. So I bet they would say the same about you!
ReplyDeleteLovely post Christine.. :) Indeed, friends do enrich our lives and make us blessed beyond what we think we deserve. I am glad you have many that make you feel special and am sure you make them feel as special :)
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. It is so important to appreciate your friends. I am new to this country and have left all my friends of 30 yrs behind but I know they will be my bestest buddies always.
ReplyDeletesweet post and you totally deserve it
ReplyDeleteThe loveliest reminder. My students like to play "For Good" from Wicked at cast parties as a reminder of the friendships they are making and have made.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely reminder that it's friends that make the world go around.
ReplyDeleteSam
Beautiful... and I love that you said the one thing you know for sure. It takes a lot for us to know something for sure.
ReplyDeleteLucky friends! Lucky you.
A beautiful and inspired post Christine. I am so fortunate to have met you in person and can attest to the fact that you are not just an "ordinary Jane" - you are special :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous & inspiring post - beautifully said!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post Christine. I'm so happy to be able to call you my friend :)
ReplyDeleteVery inspiring, I am glad you had such a great time. Thanks for sharing you blessings.
ReplyDeleteLove the passionara flower!
I have a few recipes coming soon made with passionfruit.
Have a wonderful day!
No doubt you've helped everybody reflect on their relationships with friends. It's great that you realize yours is very special.
ReplyDeleteA perfect and beautiful post...It is wonderful when you realize who you truly are and sometimes this comes from how others (friends) see you...
ReplyDeleteIf you are judging it correctly, you are seeing how beautiful you are and there for your world is:)
like you, I have just come back from a trip that was enriching and changing in so many ways. I remember once in an art class we were told to take familiar objects and position them in an unfamiliar way. Trips can do that for your spirit, can't they. We see things with fresh eyes. Lovely post. Gratitude and is very potent and life-giving emotion.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post, Christine. I've often felt the best thing about going away is returning home with new eyes. I have found I look at my home and my life in a different way. So often important decisions are made clear.
ReplyDeleteFriends are an integral part of the mesh of our lives. They hold everything together. You are blessed to have so many. I hope I am one of them!
What a lovely post. It is nice to hear about the positive things in our lives, especially when they have been fostered by our family or friends.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful post! And I think the beauty of it lies in its simple truth ... made more inspiring by your way with words, of course. Its important to take the opportunities to express gratitude. Life is busy, stuff gets in the way - but you can never go wrong in speaking from your heart like this. Thanks for sharing and for reminding me of that which is truly important.
ReplyDeleteIt is a great gift, I think, the ability to be just that, grateful.
ReplyDeleteI have seen that view of San Fransisco many times; never took a picture of it though.
What a lovely post. My husband and I are so grateful for the friends who enrich our lives in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful and inspiring post! It is brilliant expressed - no doubt your friends are equally lucky to have you as THEIR friend! And as always - gorgeous photos....
ReplyDeleteHI Christine, It's a wonder and blessing to really feel the gratitude for the gift of this lifetime. And, that richness and love you feel from the myriad friends is something that you give back generously--- a big part of who you are.
ReplyDeletegreat friends give such great joy...
ReplyDeletesweetlife
nothing like time away in a beautiful city with beautiful friends!
ReplyDeleteYou have wonderful perspective and very lucky friends!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post! And yes, it is people who make life special and meaningful and make us realize how lucky we are...
ReplyDeleteThe words came out beautifully! I love the appreciation you have for what life has brought your way. I was overcome with that type of gratitude regularly while we were living abroad. Now that we are back in the US I'm adjusting to the changes and realizing that I remain amazingly blessed. People make all the difference.
ReplyDeleteLove your flower pictures!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very positive post Christine and a real tribute to those who shape our lives, make us who we are and accept us for it.
ReplyDeleteChristine...how profound we become in the somewhat later stages of our lives. Every joyous moment gets amplified in more ways than we could have appreciated before. Our time is very precious...which means that there is only place for friends who hold quality aspects which flourish into meaningful relationships.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of flourishing...what a stunning passionfruit flower.
Glad to see that some of us are truly starting to understand the important message of our lives.
Have a glorious week.
Ciao for now,
Claudia
Lovely post Christine with wonderful pictures as always! Friends are important in every aspect of the life.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Gera
Wonderful post Christine -- good friends are very important and I believe they not only teach you a lot about yourself but they help you grow so much as a person. I love the picture of the skyscraper btw, and you are not a plain jane! In my eyes, you're a total rock star :) Have a fabulous weekend darling!
ReplyDeleteSometimes you don't need a long and drawn-out post in order to get the point across. This was beautifully and simply written. :) Gorgeous photos to boot.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful and sentimental entry. :-)
ReplyDeletebeautiful photos and beautiful reflection...in a self centered world where most bloggers complain about life, it is so refreshing to hear about what you appreciate. :-)
ReplyDeleteChristine, this is a lovely post. Thank you for sharing. I've also enjoyed your wonderful San Francisco photography and "visit".
ReplyDeleteBest,
Bonnie
It has been rewarding for Dawn and I to communicate and get to know you via the blogging world and hopefully to meet you in person sometime down the road. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't have said it better myself! Life is so enriched with wonderful friends:)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, beautiful pictures and of course beautiful person! ;-)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. Really touched me. My best friend is out of town right now, and that makes me realize how important she is to my life.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. Really touched me. My best friend is out of town right now, and that makes me realize how important she is to my life.
ReplyDeleteChristine wonderful reportage! San Francisco is the American city that would like to visit more than any other! I appreciate all your beautiful photos, especially cheese, from now on your blog is in my section "not only food blog .. I also like traveling, I visited many beautiful places in Italy and France and reports will find them in my blog, I will soon be back to see you, good weekend
ReplyDeleteExcellent post, and so true!
ReplyDeleteSome of my most treasured moments have been with my friends. Great post. I love coming home with a renewed appreciation of all that is good in my life. You expressed it well.
ReplyDeleteOh Christine, what a beautiful "love note" to your friends. I'm so overwhelmed with joy for you, that you are surrounded and have been uplifted by beautiful people around you...people who have made YOU beautiful, too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post. Very uplifting and gracious.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post by an even more beautiful soul. Christine - your friends are just as lucky to have you within their lives as you are to have them in yours.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, Christine. I, too, have been blessed with dear friendships that have enriched my life, and have, indeed, made me a better person. I have no doubt that you contribute as much as they do to you. That is the beauty of friendship.I am proud to celebrate, this September, 43 years of friendship with the same gals. Our daughters are now close friends. How lucky are we?
ReplyDeleteXO
Valerie
(I apologize for being so far behind on my readings. We left for Paris mid July and I am still away in Belgrade, currently. I cannot wait to get home and cook!)
:)
Valerie