What are you doing in my life?

Now I don't like to get all philosophical, but I was thinking the other day (I know scary, right?) I wonder why certain people are introduced to our lives.  It seems that sometimes they are more of a burden than anything with their difficult moods or beliefs that seem over the top for you, but there has got to be a reason right?  This is where I think that this has some truth to it.  You do not have people come into your life just because, people are brought into our path of life for a reason.  Either you will learn a lesson from them or they become life long friends.  Now this lesson you learn is not always easy to see.  I have had a few head scratchers in my life, but if I truly look at the big picture it soon becomes evident.  Some folks we share something in common, whether it be a career, children the same age, or a similar passion, whatever it may be we learn something from everyone that we meet in our lives.

As I reflect, I have experienced meeting a lot of new folks in a lot of new environments.  With college, living in Alaska, Colorado, and now Nebraska, I have been fortunate to meet a lot of neat folks.  People who will be forever called friends and dear to my heart.  However I have met some folks that I have learned what I do not want to become.  I know this probably sounds bad, but I never want to become that person that feels sorry for themselves and feels the world owes them everything.  Unfortunately when meeting these folks I should have seen it as an opportunity to help, but rather I just avoided the situation...so shame on me.

I sit here and type and sometimes think that there are a lot of ungrateful people in the world, but what difference does that make me better?  I am thinking badly upon someone because they don't appreciated something in their lives, and honestly that is just as bad because I could take the time to show that person what one thing they have to be grateful for.  It sounds like a lot of work, but seriously how I am expecting my child to be grateful and gracious of what they have when I cannot even express or help someone see their own appreciations?

What about those folks that we finally stop thinking or worrying about and then all of a sudden surprise they are back into our lives?  Have you ever wondered why?  I really question this one, especially those people who you feel tainted by.  What do they really want and our their intentions true?  Well...one thing that I have decided is that if someone comes back into your life it is not for a negative reason.  I am beginning to think that if they are coming back into your life it is because you need to either help them or it makes you appreciate the person that you have become and what you have. 

Whatever the reason that certain folks are brought into our lives is not one we should be focused on.  However what we can learn from each individual brought into our lives should be the real focus.  If we stop wondering and start listening, I think more lessons will be learned.

Now to only take my own advice, and thank you all for being part of my life in one way or another!