I've Been Tagged! This is for You, Robin...

Okay, Robin. This is for you. However, what you think is "lighter", for me is actually rather difficult. But for you, I'll do it because you're a sweetie, and you make me laugh.

1. A friend who has blessed me: This is hard because all my friends are blessings to me. I'd say my two longest running best friends, Mare and Steph. They have both been there for me no matter what and know everything about me but love me anyway. That's a tall order. So often I meet people who tell me their troubles, and I realize that they have no one in their lives who loves them and to whom they can tell anything. And I go home, pick up the phone, and tell my friends how much I love them and appreciate them and how much money they have saved me because I've never needed to hire a psychologist to listen to me. They listen. For free. Out of love. They're such a blessing.

2. An unexpected gift: I was going to include her in my answer for number one, but I saw that I needed a good answer here. Miss Anonymous Opinion called me and invited me to attend a concert at Longwood Gardens last Saturday given by the Kennett Square Symphony. They played show tunes and even had two remarkable male singers for several of them as well as a choir for a few of the songs. The director was phenomenal. We had a terrific time together and sang with AO's My Fair Lady CD the whole way home. It was a wonderfully unexpected and undeserved gift.

3. A kind word shared with me recently: It's the recently part that's killin' me here. I would prefer it to have read "one of the best compliments you've ever received" as there are a couple of those that I cherish. But recently...a friend asked me why I'm not on Broadway. The answer is because I'm not that good (and I'm sure she knows that), but it was still very kind.

4. Something that makes me stop and praise God: When I recall where I would be if Christ had not pursued me when I was a teenager. Would I be writing today? Probably not. Let's just leave it at that.

5. Something I'm looking forward to: Definitely NOT school starting up soon. I will miss the kids. And I don't look forward to them growing up and moving away. It will be so very hard to not have them in my life everyday. But I think grandchildren will be pretty cool. And I have a lot of years to wait for that, I think.

6. A particular part of me I'm pleased with: I'm assuming by the way this was answered before that this is referring to the physical. Until recently, I would have said my face. I remember hypothetical conversations years ago, "If you were in an accident and your face was messed up and the plastic surgeon could make you look like anyone, who would it be?" I would say, "just make me me again." Not because my face should ever have graced magazine covers, mind you, but just because it's me. (The "until recently" is because I'd prefer to have been frozen at 27, but that didn't happen.)

7. Something in my life that I wanted but never expected: Getting along with my mom. When I was a teenager, I don't think I could have foreseen that we would actually like each other one day.

8. A place that moved/moves me: Niagra Falls. Awesome. Mesmerizing. It is so beautiful and so powerful. If I could have touched the water without endangering myself, I would have loved to have done so.

9. One thing/person that always makes me smile: Only one? Ha! We'll see about that! The laughter of little children. My beautiful and cuddly dog (when she's not barking her fool head off). Gazing at my gorgeous daughter or my handsome son. My husband's compliments.

10. Most recent "love note" from God: Eph 1:11 "In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined..." John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you..." They may not be the most recent, but they are the most profound for me. It took a very long time for it to sink in that the Lord Jesus really did want me. I'm not His by accident but because He chose me. That understanding makes me so much more confident that I can come to Him with anything.

Whom to tag? Miss Anonymous Opinion, of course! And I wonder if Tasra Dawson would like to play. You're it, girls!