Friday, April 22, 2011

Something In The Way She Moves

"And I feel fine anytime she's around me now,
She's around me now
Almost all the time.
And If I'm well you can tell that she's been with me now"
                                            - Something in the Way She Moves by James Taylor


This song by James Taylor is essentially a love song written about a woman from a man's perspective but that doesn't mean that it can't describe the loving relationship between two friends, right? It's a song about how at ease and happy someone in your life can make you feel and that's exactly what I want to say in this post about my fabulous friend, Cait.
Like it says in the song, any time I am around her I feel fine! Cait's happiness is contagious and you can always be sure to walk away from any time spent with her with a smile on your face. It is always nice to be around Cait because she is the kind of person who likes to see the good in every person and every situation.



"There's something in
the way she moves,
Or looks my way,
or calls my name,
That seems to leave this troubled world behind."




She truly is a breath of fresh air.

And I knew this the moment I met her. I knew right away that we were going to be friends because she is one of my favourite type of people: the type who instantly become your best friend after meeting you! I love those kinds of people! (I have met a few in Scotland too.) With Cait, I had no doubt that we would become best friends and I see no reason how that could ever change.

Thinking about it now, I feel like Cait is my sister - the fourth sister I never had, if you will. We have that kind of indestructible connection that sisters share in the sense that I know, no matter what happens in our lives, we will always be there for each other. Sisters are always sisters no matter what happens just like Cait and I will always be friends no matter where our lives take us.

The more I think about this the more I realize how fitting it is. I have gladly taken on the role of being a sister-like friend to Cait without really recognizing that I was doing so until now. I feel the need to protect her from getting hurt. I am also completely comfortable being brutally honest to her when I believe what I am saying is helpful advice.  Just as a sister does, I try to stand behind Cait in everything that she does and I know that she does the same for me. At the same time, neither of us are afraid to speak up when we disagree with the actions or ideas of the other. I have only known this girl for three years and I have this strong belief that I know what's good for her. If that's not a sisterly relationship than I don't know what is!
I think the fact that we share such a great friendship after a considerably short time of knowing each other can be attributed to the combination of all these characteristics; they all add up to make for one extremely honest and supportive relationship.

"If I'm feeling down and blue,
Or troubled by some foolish game,
She always seems to make me change my mind."

It's this awesome relationship that we have that allows us to spend every minute we are together with smiles on our faces. If one of us is upset about something, we both know that its only a matter of seconds before a shared burst of laughter is in the air. That's what keeps us strong. The way I see it, when you're feeling down, some people have friends they go to to bury their problems, some they go to in search of pity or sympathy, some they go to to confide in. Every one of these are attempts at finding a means to the hopeful end of alleviating one's pain - whatever the nature of that pain may be. I go to Cait to make me feel better - plain and simple. Any of her friends would contest to the fact that being around Cait just makes you feel better. I don't know how else to put it. Hence why I brought in the genius lyrics of the great James Taylor!

"She has the power to go where no one else can find me,
Yes, and to silently remind me
Of the happiness and good times that I know"

Cait isn't afraid to express affection. She isn't afraid to tell me what she thinks I should do in any given situation. Cait carries her maturity well, whilst never letting go of her child within. She wants everyone around her to be happy. She radiates in beams of love and smiles and small acts of kindness. Cait loves going on adventures. And is happy to do whatever will make her friends happy.  And for all of these things, I love her to death! 

And that's why,

"If I'm well you can tell that she's been with me now,
And she's been with me now
Quite a long, long time
And I feel fine."

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Charmed Life

"It's a charmed life
Unexplainable grace
Stumbling, you fall right into place"
                                     - Charmed Life by Leigh Nash


This post is dedicated to my wonderful big sister, Alicia. I chose this song because I truly think Alicia is living a charmed life. It's the classic (and I'd say ideal) case of a girl who falls in love with her high school sweetheart and establishes for herself a successful life comprised of a career, a home, and a loving family. I have to say, I am jealous of how easily my sister was able to "stumble" into this perfect existence. Her life encompasses so many things that I hope to have in the future.

But that's not to say that I am unhappy with where I am now. You see, her life and my life went in very different directions but despite that we are both very happy where we are at the moment.

"Who needs to know
When it all comes and where it all goes
Who needs to know just where
Fate will take you there"

This past summer I made friends with lots of travelers when I was cherry picking in the Okanagan in British Columbia. I remember having a conversation about traveling with a couple of younger friends who held a very strong judgment against those who choose not to venture. They felt as though they should feel sorry for the people who weren't interested in traveling because they are missing out on so much. They didn't understand how people wouldn't want to see the world. I recall confronting them in an attempt to show them that there are different ways of looking at life and that each individual wants different things. I used Alicia as an example. As I said, she married her high school sweetheart and is now living a stable and happy life. This is obviously where she wants to be in life, otherwise she wouldn't have taken all of the life-changing steps to get here. Sure, she hasn't done much traveling of the kind that my cherry picking friends were alluding to, but she didn't need that to be happy. The way I see it is that each person knows what will make them happy. Therefore no one else has the right to judge them or take pity on their life choices. At the end of the day as long as everyone is content in what they are doing that is all that matters.

As I have come to learn, - and I am continuing to learn - traveling is a lot more than just sightseeing; there is a lot of soul-searching and character-building involved in venturing off into the world. But, the sorts of life-altering experiences that shape our character and help us discover ourselves aren't solely found over the course of globe-trotting. I know that I have learned so much about who I am and who I want to be since embarking on my traveling adventures but I am positive that Alicia probably knows a lot more about herself than I do about myself. I say this because, she has had her soulmate, her "other half", riding along through life with her for the past ten years! Being in a relationship also involves a lot of soul-searching and character-building I am sure. Not only that, she has also given birth and is raising a child. That opens a whole other can of worms when it comes to life-changing experiences that shape you.

"It's a childlike world and you can feel the magic
Far from the typically tragic
That's the beauty of a charmed life"

So, what I'd say to those who think that Alicia and others like her are missing out is a quotation used at the epic traveling movie, "Into the Wild" - "Happiness only exists when shared." When all is said and done, it doesn't matter where we have been or what we have seen, those experiences can't hold a candle to the tangible gift of being with the people you love.

"It's a good life in the happily ever after
Last page of a very last chapter
It's the story of a charmed life"

So, kudos to you Alicia! You have found your happy place and you didn't need to go on any soul-searching journeys or waste any time questioning what you want in life. You knew what you wanted and you got it and I am so proud of you! You are a fabulous big sister who I know I can always count on for life advice because you obviously know what you are doing. You're doing this little sister good by showing her how it's done! With any luck I'll soon be walking in your footsteps and finding my happily ever after.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

You're All I Need To Get By

"You're all I need to get by.
Like the sweet morning dew, I took one look at you,
And it was plain to see, you were my destiny."
                          - You're All I Need To Get By by Marvin Gaye

Knowing someone for as long as I have known Sam, it was hard to choose a song that encompasses ALL of the things that our relationship is about. There are so many different parts to our friendship that I would like to explore in this post, but it would take a lifetime to write (let alone read). I have found that this song speaks to the fact that she is such a large influence in my life. But, in an attempt to keep this just a post and not a novel I have chose to focus on one very, very important aspect of our relationship.

I became friends with Samantha Granger in grade ten and we have been inseparable ever since. It's been almost ten years and our friendship has seen its ups and downs but I know, without any doubt, that she is all I need to get by.

In writing these blog posts dedicated to people in my life I try to pick a song that I know each person enjoys listening too. Sam definitely enjoys the musical talents of the great Marvin Gaye so I am happy to dedicate a post to her using one of his songs.

So, why is Samantha all I need to get by? Well, it's simple really. Remember that post I wrote when I was getting a bit discouraged with my life decisions and I said that there was that voice in my head encouraging me to go on and telling me everything was alright? Basically, Sam is that voice. She keeps me sane. Those of you who know Sam, you might chuckle at this sentiment, because we all know she is a bit off her rocker sometimes. But, the truth of the matter is she is one of the most down-to-earth and levelheaded people I know. Sam has a great attitude towards life. She has fun as often as she can and I have learned so much from her.

I truly believe that a large part of the person I am today can be attributed to the friendship I have maintained with Samantha. I remember when I was in high school - just a shy, soft-spoken girl - I used to find myself in situations where I wanted to step out of my comfort zone to do something and I would convince myself that I should because I would think to myself, If Sam was here, she would do it. I have admired Samantha's fearlessness ever since the moment I met her. She inspired me to create my own unique character. The outgoing, outspoken (and any other adjective you choose to use) girl that I am now has been greatly influenced by my friendship with Miss. Samantha Granger.

"I will go where you lead
Always there in time of need
And when I lose my will
You'll be there to push me up the hill"

Samantha inspired me to discover my true self when I was younger and now she motivates me to stay true to who that person is. She is never short of an encouraging word whenever I am feeling disheartened or frustrated. She always stands behind me in all of my decisions. But it's not because she is one of those flakes who just tell you what you want to hear. I think it's because she trusts that I know what I am doing and she knows that all I need is that little extra boost of confidence to actually carry out whatever it is I was hesitant to do in the first place. See what I mean when I say she is that angelic, uplifting voice in my head?!

"You're all I need to get by.
Like an eagle protects his nest, for you I'll do my best,
Stand by you like a tree, dare anybody to try and move me"

Sam has been such a wonderful, constantly positive influence in my life and as her best friend I do my best to reciprocate her kind efforts. That is why I have always stood by her in everything she goes through in life and vow to keep doing so forever. No matter who walks in and out of our lives, we both know that no one can mess with what we got.

"Don't know what's in store but together we can open any door
Just to do what's good for you and inspire you a little higher"

I can only hope that I am just as good of a friend to you as you are to me, Sam. And I hope that I can give back to you the amount of inspiration that you have given to me.