The Importance of Mental Floss!

Today I said goodbye to a wonderful friend today who had been visiting me for the last three days. We grew up together and she now lives in the Detroit area. She had her first baby last year, whom I haven't seen since I was there for his birth, and together they braved the travel nightmares of the eastern seaboard to come for a little visit.

Why?

Because she knew it was good for my mental health.

Actually it was her wonderful husband who made the suggestion when I was back in the hospital last month. He suggested that a visit was necessary with everything that was going on with me. AND...she brought the baby!

It is amazing to me how a short "in person" visit with someone who I talk to on a somewhat regular basis on the phone, text, skype, and occasionally email, can totally make me do a 180. I have found that I am in much less pain these last few days and overall feeling pretty good. It is almost as if my visit with her healed me somewhat.

Was it the visit itself or perhaps the baby, as everyone knows I love me some babies?

Perhaps it was the break from the everyday mundane that I deal with between bandage changes, pain pills, crutches, naps, etc.

All I know, is that it was WONDERFUL for my mental health to have her visit with me. AND the greatest part is that we really didn't do ANYTHING but sit and visit, eat, play with the baby, and just be there for one another.

I love and appreciate all my friends so much, that this week has reiterated to me the importance of having them not only in my life, but actively participating in my everyday life. I have found myself isolating myself lately because I feel like crap and I can't get around very easily, and I can't drive, so I have to depend upon others to get me from A to B. But I have found that it is good for my mental health and subsequently my physical health to surround myself with the people that I love and care about and not to push them away. It is important to make time for those in my life who support me even if they live in Louisiana, Indiana, Delaware, Tennessee, Montana, Michigan, or even New England...I have loved ones all around this country who love and support me, and I need to make sure that I am involving them in my everyday life and NOT pushing them away. If there was ever a time in my life when I needed my friends, it would be now, so I need to remember that, however hard it may be. I know they want to be there for me and now is the time in my life that I must allow them and stop pushing them in the other direction.

Today, my friend went home...and I have to admit, I cried. Not because I was necessarily sad (although I was a bit blue), but more because these last few days were the first time I almost felt normal again. A feeling I haven't felt in over six months.

I felt like ME again!

And that, my friends, is a great feeling, because the ME that I am (before all of this hip crap happened) is only made possible by all of YOU!!

Thank you for being there for me and keeping me sane. My body, heart, and mind...also thank you!!

Wishing you all good health, humor, and sanity!!