The older I get, the more I realize that good relationships must be treasured.  And even with those, life has a way of making changes, bringing people in and out, changing the dynamics, the time spent, and the overall flavor of a relationship or friendship. 

When we moved to WA, I didn’t expect to find actual friends here.  We knew it would be beautiful.  We knew it would be different.  We knew we had to take the chance and make the move.  But we didn’t know who we would meet.  And we didn’t know they would be such fantastic people.

These are my friends, my “besties”, and they have made my life better here in WA.  They are true country girls.  I’m the wannabe!  They have helped me shovel snow, invited me and my family over for meals, had picnics at the lake, chatted at the poolside, sat in the jacuzzi, changed a flat tired, given me rides, taught my daughter about horses, gone snow skiing, gone boating and water skiing, gone camping, played games, watched movies, weeded in my garden, shopped with me in town, labored over how to homeschool teen boys, taken care of my dogs, washed my dishes, watched my kids, taught me how to drive in snow, and taught me how to chill and relax.

These women are capable, determined, talented, and hard working.  I am proud to know them, and proud to be their friend!

“…and Mrs. Plata, don’t even get me started on that.” 

Those words have pierced right through my heart, and landed in my mouth where I have been chewing on them all day long since I heard them.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because I was warned.  But I chose to believe.  I chose to invest my time, my friendship, my life experience, hoping it might make a difference.

I feel the fool.  I feel sad.  I feel used.  The old saying goes…”when life hands you lemons, make lemonaid.”  What if I am tired of drinking lemonaid?  I’ve been making an awful lot of lemonaid in the recent past, and right now, I’d like to toss that lemonaid at someone and just say a few words of my own. 

Of course that wouldn’t help.  Of course, I won’t do that.  I’d like to just get away and forget about the stress of life.  I invested my self and got a slap in the face in return.  It just kind of stings.