Quality, not quantity

I spent this past weekend in Phoenix one last time before I head back to Rome visiting friends and my sister. Considering all that's going on at home with my mom and her health, I was really looking forward to getting away and spending time with friends I hadn't seen yet and more time with the sister.

As mentioned in a previous blog some of the friends I hadn't seen have sort of fallen off the face of the earth and I was hoping to see them, but after not hearing from them and then finding that they had other plans, I didn't get to see them at all. I was, of course, very disappointed and somewhat hurt. It just felt like I was hit with another unanticipated disappointment in a summer filled with them. But then I realized something as I was talking to my mom on the phone on Saturday afternoon that put everything in to perspective.

I spent Wed. night and most of the next day with my best friend who had a baby 2 weeks ago. She and I haven't had much alone time in quite a while and it was so good to just be with her. We had the best time just hanging out like we used to, going to dinner, and playing with her kids. Then, I met up with a friend for frozen yogurt to catch up. After that, I went to my sister's and had dinner with her, my brother-in-law, and my cousin. On Friday I met some ladies I used to work with for lunch and then headed to my dear friend Lisa's home where I spent most of the afternoon chatting with her about life and basking in the amazingness that is her kids. After that, I met up with a good friend for dinner. She and I haven't had much time together in the last several years and it was such a treat. I spent Saturday shopping and hanging out with my cousin. Two of my old friends dropped by that evening to get ice cream and watch a movie. (God Bless Justine for blessing me with Starbuck's Toffee Nut syrup and many boxes of Via). Today I met with one of my former students for a coffee and then I had lunch with my other best friend...again, one-on-one time that we so rarely get and after that I met up with another friend I hadn't seen in forever because she'd moved from Phoenix.

I shared this whirlwind activity with my mom and that's when I had my "AHA" moment. Yes, I didn't get to see all of people that I wanted to, but looking at who I got to spend my time with and the amount of quality time I got to spend with them was just what I needed and such a tremendous blessing. These women are all women who have greatly impacted my life and who challenge me in my walk with Christ and who I am becoming. They each love me well. And God knew that. He knew that when He allowed me to go to Phoenix and when He allowed my expectations for the weekend to be shaken it was for my benefit and for the restoration and encouragement of my heart.

I am so thankful for the weekend that I had because I got to be with the people that I love and the time I spent with them was better than I had hoped for because I got their undivided attention and they got mine to talk about our lives, laugh about what's been going on, and encourage one another. I sometimes forget that it's not about how many friends I have or how many friends I get to see when I am home, but rather it's about the quality of time I get to spend with those who I call friend and how much more valuable that is. I am thankful for the weekend that I had and that it wasn't the one that I'd expected. Quality is so much better than quantity.

Size matters

I have a new favorite TV show: Drop Dead Diva. It's funny, touching, witty, and sheds light on a subject near and dear to my heart: body image.

The show centers on its main female character, Jane. Or Deb. It depends. See Deb was a model who was killed in a car accident. Her soul makes its way to the "pearly gates," but when she accidentally pushes a button on her case workers computer her soul is sent back to Earth to inhabit a recently departed body, Jane. Deb is every stereotypical thing you think of when you think blonde model: self-absorbed, flighty, airhead, and more. Jane, however, is a brilliant lawyer who seems to be out of touch socially. Did I forget to mention that she's "plus-sized"?

Yep, Jane is overweight. And for Deb, this is close to her definition of hell.

What is so intriguing about this show is that the character has an opportunity to experience life as the "other half" do, that is she gets to experience life in a body that doesn't fit society's mold, what is deemed acceptable. And that's hard for her. On the one hand she gets it because she was the person on the other side, making snide remarks about overweight women, judging them based upon their looks, but now she is experiencing those same things but from the other angle. She's the one who is the target of the remarks, the judgements...and it hurts and angers her.

I think this is fabulous. If nothing else, I hope this show sparks conversation and helps us to stop and think before we judge someone based on their size. I hope this show sparks someone's thought process towards themselves as they belittle themselves because they ate a "bad" food or had a "bad" food day...whether they're a size 4 or a size 24. Our lives should not be measured by the size of our pants, but rather who we are and what we do with the life we've been given. I, for one, hope that this show is a stepping stone towards healing for a culture that seeks to place more importance, more value on what a person looks like instead of who they are.

Catch Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime.