Last night, I spent the evening with some great friends. Some old, some new and some renewed. I was very particular about the guest list as this was a very special occasion and I wanted it to go over without a hitch. Only one nut-head slipped through the cracks but thankfully, even that turned out all right in the end. I enjoyed reminiscing with friends from high school, friends that came from past jobs and even some friends where we weren’t exactly friends in school but we are now. All I could think all night was how blessed I truly am. I know this has been my theme for some time now and if you don’t like it, too bad. Happiness is something to be aspired to daily and not taken for granted. It is at the forefront of my priorities and it is going to remain that way.

In the past, I have invited individuals out of obligation and regretted it. I have sat through dinner parties with stilted conversation, gritted my teeth with irritation and endured phony individuals while listening to their catty, pretentious chatter all for the sake of trying to be agreeable. We all have those so-called individuals that like to rear their ugly heads only when they can derive some satisfaction from a low point in your life or only show up to see if they are doing better than you. Yes, I used to allow these individuals to be at my occasions because I would listen to others who would tell me to think about the past and all the times they were good friends to me. But no more, past is past. There is a word that I believe stands out more, continuity!! If we are told to not dwell on the past concerning bad times, why isn’t this the case for the good times as well? My point is we should always be moving forward and I am sorry, there is something to be said for the saying you are only as good as your last good deed, in my book anyway. If you used to be a good friend but you are not now, well that means your season has ended.

These days I am all about the time and the effort you put into a relationship with me. Time is of more valuable to me than never-ending excuses. I don’t just mean time either, I mean quality time – time that is peaceful and meaningful where we each derive a sense of satisfaction from it. My husband had a friend not show up last night because he had another party to go to. Yet, I had a friend show up whose money is so tight, she really could not afford to be there but she said she wanted to be there for us, even if it was just for a little while. I wonder what ever happened to the days where you showed your face, even for just a few minutes, because that is simply what friends do. I also received the surprise of my life last night. My old best friend from middle and high school showed up to the event and she didn’t even tell me she was coming. We picked up right where we left off as if twenty years had not passed and it was wonderful!!! There were also those I call my “old faithfuls” because through hell or high water, they are always at every special moment in my life.

So see, when people say they are unhappy or I hear them complaining constantly, I no longer listen. If I find you continually have nothing but excuses in regards to our friendship, then in my mind, it is not a relationship you really value. There is a page on Facebook that is titled ” I am not mad at you, I just no longer f— with you.” You might want to say it a little better than that, but you get the jest of the message. There are several individuals that need to understand, I am not mad at you, I am just simply seeking out quality relationships.

You make your own happiness and God enables us to strive for and achieve it everyday. Don’t miss out on your blessings just because you are too blind to the fact that you have the ability to change every outcome. This blog post is dedicated to all those that made last night one of the greatest occasions of my life. It was the perfect chemistry, it was a lot of fun and it will forever be a great memory!!!