Friendships

 Friendships. There is a lot to be said for having a friend to turn to in the good times and the difficult times. A friend tells you what you need to hear and not necessarily what you want to hear. They sympathize with you, they laugh with you and yes, on occasions will cry with you. They have your back.
I want to say I have been blogging now for 3+ years or so, and I have been privileged to have the support of many of you here in blogland and for that I am extremely appreciative. There has been one blogger that reached out to me very early on when I started to explore a TTWD relationship, how I thought it could help us, what I thought I wanted from the relationship and how I should best move ahead with incorporating this into my own marriage.

Many times I longed for this person to be closer to me so we could sit down over a cup of coffee, a cappuccino or perhaps a cup of tea and just discuss the many questions I had. I longed for the friendship of someone I could truly be "myself" with and discuss a topic that many others would find shocking and inappropriate. I longed for someone to talk with that would not judge me but help guide me through some of the issues I was having.

During my journey, I have connected with a blogger via email that I quickly knew I could ask most any question of her and I could also count on her honesty and her understanding even when advising me of things that maybe were difficult to hear. She has been there for me through the best of times and the worst of times and I never once felt judged, but instead I felt her understanding, her warmth, her care, her concern and her friendship.

Recently, as I have been going through quite a rough time in my marriage, I became vey over whelmed and really didn't know where to turn. This individual must have read my mind, because she suggested that we make time for a phone call. A phone call???!!! Wow. I wasn't sure what to think as we were about to take our relationship to another level. To say  I was nervous, excited, and a  bit anxious was an understatement. I mean to respond via a blog, or even to reach out via email was one
thing, but to actually reach out and call one another and hear each others voices was another. I mean would we be able to talk as friends.. would we spend time talking about TTWD? Would there be questions asked that I might not be prepared to answer just yet? How would I feel, how would she feel?

We agreed on a day and time that would work best for us both. The closer the time approached, the more anxiety I felt. I didn't want to be judged, and I didn't want to judge her. I wanted an honest discussion and I wanted her friendship.

And so finally I settled in and decided I would call her from the privacy of my restful place where I go to reflect on things and work through problems to be solved. And yes, this is an actual picture of my resting area. The appointed time arrived and I took a deep breath and dialed her number. I held my breath waiting for her to answer. She didn't keep me waiting. She must have been anticipating my call and answered my call as though she had known me for a very long time. I originally was cautious, but as we began to talk I found myself relaxing and starting to warm up. The conversation felt as though we could have been sitting in the same room with a cup of coffee just talking about the things that had been going on. Finally...... I was talking with someone who really understood me and the lifestyle I had chosen to live. Nothing seemed awkward. She made me feel comfortable.

While our first talk was not particularly long.. it broke the ice for the opportunity to visit again on a more personal level.

And so to my blogger friend... thank you for being willing to put yourself out there and helping ladies like me to feel comfortable in talking about our families, our life style, our issues in a non judgmental manner. I will never forget your kindness and your support and I look forward to getting to know you on a more personal level in the months ahead.