I got my happy slappy out of bed this a.m. and took a long walk with a dear friend who has experienced an enormous hardship recently. The beauty of her presence by my side as we shared our fears and sorrows was remarkable to me and I thanked God for the opportunity to be with her and to witness her unbelievable courage. While our current lives are filled with questions and doubts, on very different levels, (hers more substantial than my own), it was wonderful to be able to validate her and feel her support at the same time. I am looking forward to healing alongside this woman in the days to come and I treasure our growing friendship. Sometimes, when life deals you a tough hand, the thing you really need the most is for someone to say "what you are going through is terrible, and I'm sorry" instead of "here is the answer" or "don't worry, it will be okay." Because sometimes its not okay and in the moment that you are experiencing what you fear the most, you just want someone to say- "yeah- this sucks...let it out...i want to hear you...let's talk about it.."