They Lift You Up

Friends are like gems...so a good friend of mine inspired me to say.

I think he's right on. When you need it, it comes in the most amazing packages. Is it our faith? Is it our karma? I will not question why. I will only be grateful. Whatever the reason, good friends can elevate you to a place you never thought was possible. It is then that you realize that they are your family and family comes in many forms.

They lift you up, become your cheerleaders and keep you going knowing that you should not be afraid to try to achieve because they believe in you. They see it all. The good, the bad and the ugly, and yet they still care about you and give you strength. It's reciprocal, this friendship thing and it only works if you too, care enough to lift them up. And it happens when you/they may not even realize it.

This is the true gem, the diamond in the rough. And that cannot be valued, for friendship like that is truly priceless.

He Who Walks Alone Walks Faster

He walked right into my store!

That's right! That picture there is of me and the infamous Walking Man! The Walking Man and I got to spend the day together talking and shooting the breeze. He's over here in MA on some family buziness, and he gave me a call to arrange a visit. He decided to take the trip to my store and when he entered The Candy Bar, the big bear hug he gave me told me just about everything I needed to know about this most lovable character.

It was immediately like I had known him my whole life!

We spent the first few hours "shooting the shit" about life, God, relationships and family. I even solicited his sage advice about parenting and before I knew it we had devoured  the better part of a very enjoyable afternoon. The Walking Man even got to meet my mom, dad and FRICK!!! And you should have seen her face as he bear hugged himself right into her heart.

He told me the story of how he got the name The Walking Man, and about his life before he came to reside in his beloved (I'm kidding) Detroit. I always love meeting up with my Blogger buddies, but this visit was extra-special, as The Walking Man is one of my most very favorites. It's always nice to be able to put a face to a blog, and his kind face and warm heart belies his tough looking exterior and his sometimes serious prose.

I consider myself very lucky to call him my friend. I miss him already!