friendship

Lets Talk About Social Media

- robin

A few years ago, I closed up my social media. Facebook and Instagram were deleted for at least six months. I had been hacked and wanted to start with a clean slate. After so much time off from checking the accounts often during the day, I was ready to create new accounts and did just that. Asking friends to return friendship was a priority for me. But…something unexpected happened.

A few of my dearest friends ignored my request for friendship. Three friends to be exact. To this day, these dear friends are not part of my life. They are ghosting me. There are days when I miss their random texts to me with a joke or family news, meeting for dinner when in town or just a wonderful afternoon phone call. I have reached out to each of them to no avail.

The wonderful part is, I have learned to live without them. Larry in his infinite wisdom, said: you cannot make people like you, care about you OR want any contact with you. Lori, Karen and Rosemary are still in my daily prayers.

I was thinking that perhaps after breast cancer #2, I was to clingy? It was such a difficult time for me. I can WHAT IF all day but, life goes on.

Larry also said: People will treat you the way they feel about you.

I’ve been dying to post something about social media and non friends. It is out of my system. FINALLY!

Thank you for listening.

Love you beyond the moon.

Me

What Is A Real Friendship?

- robin

Yesterday, Larry and I had a huge discussion and was about, FRIENDSHIP. It is a subject that that has hit close to home the past 18 months. How do you judge a friend? What do you expect from a friend? Do you hold a friend to the same expectations as the other people who come easily in and out of our lives, are held to?

What does your friendship look like if you BOTH are going through unthinkable bumps in the road? Do you reach out to check on your friends even though you are depressed, ill or overwhelmed with life?

OK. I am crying.

I personally believe that there is always a giver and a taker in every relationship. When the giver (or the communicator) is struggling….. what happens to the relationship? If the friendship dissolves, was it truly a friendship?

I found this list online. I love it……

A good friend walks the talk and shows that they care by their actions – big and small.

A good friend:

Listen to them. Try to understand a situation from your friend’s point of view. …

Get the facts. …

Ask them what they need. …

Keep in touch. …

Tell them how you feel. …

Be willing to make a tough call.

I wrote a real letter to a lost friend a few months ago. I apologized in case I had done anything wrong and tried to make sure that she was ok. She texted me with excuses. I guess she was not a friend after all.

My daughter Lauren called me while I was writing this Friendship post….her advice was…YOU only have control over YOU. You do not have to allow anyone to ignore or insult you. OR use you, for that matter. Do not let anyone walk all over you or disrespect you. (Thank you Lars, for your thoughts)

Do you have wisdom to share? Be a guest blogger about friendship. Contact me at: [email protected]

Be a good friend today, Let me know how you are doing!

Love you.

Robin

A Letter To Europe

- robin

I have a few friends online who I have never met. Being friends with someone that you have never met, is an interesting relationship.

One of my friends, is someone who I met on Flickr. (the photo program) He disappeared for awhile, when another Flickr friend mentioned that our friend was well. I was happy. I had missed him.

He and I have been friends for years now. Matilda writes letters to him during Camp Robi, and he shares photos of his dog. He is a published author, actor, and is one of the kindest people I have ever known.

On Monday, his beloved dog crossed the rainbow bridge. It was posted on Instagram and I understand completely. You can tell all of your friends the difficult news at the same time.

I sent a sad emoji, but on Tuesday I wrote a real note to him.

Photo: Sympathy letter in The Cottage mailbox

I think that a real letter of sympathy is much better than a social media comment. At least for Larry and myself. Don’t you love real handwriting, on wonderful paper? The letter was picked up yesterday and will be in Europe by next week.

I wish that the letter had a mini go-pro camera on it. Seeing the voyage on video would be so much fun….except…I would not like to intrude when my friend opens the letter.

Please have a good day. There is so much pain in the world right now. People need to feel the positive energy from someone special. I imagine that is you. Only awesome people read BLOG.

Love you beyond the moon.

Me

Yesterday and Today’s Post

- robin

Below you will find the post I wrote yesterday.

I am just adding a note to it for today…..

I am doing laundry

and

cleaning out the guest bedroom  closet.

{Piles: Throw away. Donate and keep!}

Have a lovely Monday.

Love you.

Me

Photo: My Paris view while drinking hot chocolate. November 27th 2017

I am beyond blessed.

I know this.

My days are spent

Loving.

Traveling.

Praying.

Painting.

Creating.

Caring.

Crying.

OH!

This  list could go on for days.

****

I have a question for you.

You are in a situation where someone is disrespecting you.

Do you stay quiet while feeling like a simpering idiot

OR

do you speak up, empowering yourself

and feeling a badly for falling into the pit

of bad manners while defending yourself?

Just asking.

***

I am blessed and loved BEYOND the moon.

Please do not make me  feel guilty

because you are unhappy and angry.

People that do that cannot be in my life.

Sorry.

Me

Like Butterfly Wings

- robin

Yesterday was a strange day.

After a moment of sunlight in the morning,

the day became gloomy and bitter cold.

I had a million errands to do,

worried about Libby

and

a new recipe to try.

By four o’clock PM, I was antsy and sad.

It is then when I grabbed my coat  and took a walk.

A three mile walk.

It felt awesome and cleared my head.

When I arrived back at the cottage,

I stopped by the mail-box.

In the pile of catalogs and mail

I found a note….

a lovely note from a dear friend, very far away.

The paper is covered with filmy fabric,

much like butterfly wings.

The note was from our dear friend, Kevin.

Kevin, like so many of us had an interesting 2016.

He wrote, thanking us for friendship and love.

How on earth, did he know I needed that,

at the very moment I opened it?

I believe that is called…friendship.

Thank you Kevin.

Love you beyond butterfly wings.

Me