beautiful

Had coffee with a beautiful new friend this morning & it was wonderful.  I learned so much about her, and she took the time to learn about me too.  She is authentic, easy to talk to, non-judgmental and comfortable with tears. 

Interestingly enough, I learned that her mother's favorite flower was the yellow rose (a symbol of friendship).  She obviously knew how to be a good friend, and I'm grateful, because I'm reaping the benefits.  Can't wait for our next date in a couple of weeks.

cleanse

Just finished a 21 day cleanse.  It's been nothing but fruits & veggies all day every day.  OK, so I ate a cupcake once . . . and was SO nauseous.  You can rest assured I regretted cheating!

Boy do I feel great!  It's amazing how much more energy I have & how much better my daily attitude has been.  Lingering depression: gone.  Stomach bloating: gone.  Funky attitude: gone.

SO thankful for fruits & veggies.  I've done it before, but how quickly I forget the benefits of feeling good.

Now the challenge: to keep it up & continue to feel great.

being known

There are a few unique things about my experience in Chicago so far:

1. People are QUICK on the horn
2. Drivers are NUTS (already been rear-ended.  Nope - not hurt.)
3. Folks like to talk a LOT (mostly monologues)

Regarding #3: it's kinda funny how people here just talk . . . no dialogue.  Just talking.  In fact, had someone over for dinner this week who talked for 3 hours straight.  Tried to redirect a few times to allow others into the conversation, but nope.  Didn't work.

So it's been great having my friend, CyBelle, here.  She is one of the best question-askers I know . . . and she cares (deeply) about the answers.  I've gotten to share so much the last 4 days.  It's been very helpful for my soul to be asked questions & then allowed to share the answers in a safe place.

And then there's the fact that her mantra has been "I just wanna see your world."  How great it's been to have someone want to just come & BE with me!  No agenda other than being together.

Showing off one of her favorite places: Sue the T-Rex at the Field Museum

And finally, she's engaged my kiddo.  Mahalia adores her, because CyBelle sees her, plays with her, talks to her etc.  It's been such a great reminder of the power of presence & the importance of being known.