Happy Friendship day

Tuesday 30th June 2019
Friendship is the comfort of knowing even when you feel you're alone - you aren't.

Happy World Friendship Day!

I'm very lucky that in my job, I get to meet so many amazing people and I end up with a huge circle of friends, WW is also where I met my very best friends and thankfully because of it, I'm still guaranteed to see one of them every Saturday.  The thing with life is we all get so busy and forget to make time for each other, my other bestie also lives a 60 mile round trip which makes it even more difficult, I have mom and she has work which consumes her day light hours.   Then there's the unexpected friendships you end up with, thanks to WW I have people in my life I would probably never have met had it not been for them, including Carol who I consider a friend, she is my work mom, she's my little rock, my PA, my personal shopper, my Wonder Woman!   All my WW helpers have become friends over the years, I look forward to seeing them every week, I'm very blessed. 

Let's make today's happiness challenge something friend related, either give them a call, go see them or get in touch in some way even if it's a text message, let them know you care. 

Why are friends important?  Really do we need to be told!  Why are my friends important to me, oh so many reasons, they listen to all my crap for a start, they know me better than most and still like me.  They're great to spend time with and have fun.  They're also there when life's not so fun.  I know I can rely on them and visa versa, there's a trust there that I find to have with people.  They make me smile just thinking about them because we've done so many things together, made such brilliant memories and enjoyed being in each others lives. 

Officially Friendship is important also because it may yield a multitude of long-term physical and emotional health benefits. Studies show that healthy relationships make aging more enjoyable, lessen grief, and provide camaraderie to help you reach personal goals, among other things. Maintaining positive relationships should rank up there with healthy eating and exercise as a necessary investment in your health.

A number of studies have highlighted the importance of friends and good relationships to health, Here are some of the findings:

Socially engaged adults age more successfully. According to surveys of women over age 60, those who are socially engaged and visit with friends and family throughout the week are happier as they age.

Friends can help you achieve your weight and fitness goals. Encouragement and just sharing goes a long way to boosting your willpower.

Happiness is catching. If you have a friend you consider to be happy, you are more likely to be happy and you are able to spread that happiness to the people around you. A study of 4,739 adults who participated in the Framingham Heart Study between 1983 and 2003 showed that people tend to cluster into happy or unhappy groups, and happiness appears to spread not just to those immediately inside the social group, but to their contacts as well. Having happy friends who live less than a mile away was an especially powerful predictor of happiness.

Building a circle of friends makes you happy. People who see themselves as a leader in their social circle are happier than those who see themselves as outsiders — another reason why actively building relationships instead of waiting for the phone to ring is important.

Friends lessen grief. A series of interviews with parents who lost a baby during pregnancy or immediately after birth showed that those who felt they were receiving social support from friends or family were better able to cope with their grief. The most welcome forms of support were simply being physically present, listening, and offering sympathy, encouragement, and practical help, such as making meals or funeral arrangements. In contrast, feeling socially alone tends to worsen grief.

Being social boosts your immune system. Being socially engaged leads to more positive emotions, which in turn may actually boost your body’s immune system and reduce the physical signs of stress, say health experts.

Yeah, appreciate those friends in your life, love them and stay in touch whether virtually or in person.  

I've always loved this poem, it resonated with me from the very first time I read it, it's so true. 

Reason Season Lifetime 

People always come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,

It is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty,

Or to provide you with guidance and support,

To aid you physically, emotionally, or even spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend to you, and they are.

They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time,

This person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they just walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON,

It is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.

They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.

They may teach you something you have never done.

They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.

Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

And like Spring turns to Summer and Summer to Fall,

The season eventually ends.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;

Those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person anyway;

And put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas in your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being part of my life,

Whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

So in other news - who am I kidding there is no news in my world, thankfully I might add because that means it's all calm on the western front.  The biggest problem in my world at the moment is getting a pair of slippers that actually fit mom, 3 pairs down so far, hoping one of my members is going to be sorting the problem for me this week.  Yesterday I nipped to M&S on the way to Sainsbury's for my stock up of long life milk, it's only 50p a carton there - cheapest anywhere!  Well they had a few things reduced so Alfie got chicken for his breakfast, l did too, then I had a coronation chicken grill thing for my dinner with a drizzle sauce, it was good, I wouldn't buy it again because of the points value, it was 15SP in the packet, even if you took off 4 or 5 for the fact it had chicken breast in it, it was still too many Smart Points, I could have chicken thighs for that! 

I do have a fridge full of ready meals now though so no thinking where cooking is concerned this week, I've finally got my hands on Chicken Chow Mein in the low fat range, interested to try that.  

What I am enjoying at the moment is that I'm not thinking about food constantly, I'm not eating just because it's a meal time, if I'm not hungry, I'll wait until I am, it seems to be working.  I'm able to have 1 biscuit occasionally when mom offers without wanting another 12, I even had 4 Pringles from her tube the other day and wasn't fussed about getting more, I shall continue to enjoy this as long as it lasts.  

Anyway, I need to get ready for work, been on my pc for far too long now, here's to a very great day, I shall be eating the food in my fridge in order of use by dates, we shall see what's on the menu later, I'll post pics. 

Luv ya, mwah

Love me xx