Day 5-Friends

Friends and Readers,

Sorry that I wasn't able to post yesterday. It was a busy day, but it was a productive one at that!

First of all, I want to say "Thank you." When I was in Waterloo, I ran in to studio mates (I won't say past studio mates because I am still part of the Barber studio, just not a Laurier student anymore) and I was so excited to hear that many are reading my blog. I am also getting a great response from people on Facebook who let me know they are reading! I am so happy that you are taking the time out of your day to read this. After all, that is why I post. Keep reading! I hope to keep motivating you and feeding your minds with interesting things. This is my goal. And thank you for following me on my journey. The process becomes much more enjoyable knowing that there are readers out there. I am thankful for you all!

I had a phenomenal lesson with the amazing Kimberly Barber. I had discovered some things during my practice over the holidays. I am always amazed that most of the discoveries I have don't happen in the studio...they happen in the practice room. It is in the studio that we expand on those ideas and go further. I love the dialogue I have with my teacher and how we are able to get to the root of things much quicker these days. Open minds and open hearts equal good singing. I am so thankful for life-long learning.

When I was in the city, I was able to spend time with two of my very dear friends. I didn't realize how much I had missed them over the break until I was with them. Being an only child, my friends are my siblings, I love them just as much as I would if we were blood-related. I am amazed at how strong they are, how much I see them growing as human beings. I learn from them and am inspired by them. They also learn from me. What more could one want? I am thankful for my friends.

I was able to spend time last night with my best and oldest friend. Amongst her birthday celebrations, we watched our favourite guilty-pleasure-teen-girl show. Now, before I tell you what show this is, I will say it has to do with vampires. I am going to tell you right now...the two of us were vampire movie/t.v. fans WAY BEFORE this ridiculous empire of Twilight books and films came out. We are original Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans (the original 1992 film starring Kristy Swanson, Luke Perry and Canadian, Donald Sutherland!) and the t.v. show starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz (swoon). Ok, maybe I still have a little teenage-girl left in me. Haha.

We watched the Vampire Diaries after a 5 week long hiatus. We had been waiting since probably May of last year for a good kiss to happen between two of the lead characters. The writers had been teasing viewers with close personal contact and the odd face graze for way too long. Well, needless to say, the kiss happened. You know you have found your soul mate in a friend when she got JUST as ridiculously excited as you did. We were giggling, we were screaming, we were hysterically laughing...I felt like 13 a year old all over again. It was fantastic. I am thankful for life's little pleasures.

In examining all these activities that I took part in in the past couple days, I realize how we have to savour and enjoy all of these little things. What are you thankful for? What makes you giggle like a 13 year old? In this age of technology and a fast paced life-style, do we truly stop to look at the little things we are so lucky to have? After writing this post, I realize how little I really need to be happy. It's incredibly comforting.

I'll leave you with a small paragraph from The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari on friends:

"A person with three solid friends is very wealthy indeed. Friends add humour, fascination and beauty to life. There are few things more rejuvenating than sharing a belly-bursting laugh with an old friend. Friends keep you humble when you get too self-righteous. Friends make you smile when you are taking yourself too seriously. Good friends are there to help you when life throws one of its little curves at you and things look worse than they seem."

According to this passage, I'm rich. I am so thankful for that.