Thanksgiving Challenge #4: The Yin to my Yang

Balance. 

It's one of those words we talk about a lot, but most of us seem to always be seeking it in one way or another. 

Every day, in every way, we strive to find that perfect equilibrium where everything sits "just right".  

I am not a master of 'balance'.  I seem to always throw myself from one extreme to the other- and sometimes to both extremes at the same time. I take on too much, and then desperately struggle to get it all done. I spend weeks over exerting myself socially, only to take a month (or six) of hibernation to recover. Doing things in moderation has simply never been my strong suit. 

But there is one place in my life where I have struck a perfect chord; one area where I sit back, look at my "accomplishments" and think to myself "this is good". 

I have awesome friends. 

I know everyone thinks that they have awesome friends- and for their sakes, I hope that they are right. All I can say is that the little circle that I have stumbled into, either by luck or Divine Intervention, is pretty damn phenomenal. 

And they are all different from each other.  This is what makes it all work so well. 

From some I find humour, from others I find emotional/spiritual kinship. From some I find tremendous intellectual stimulation, and from others I am relieved that they offer me a pseudo escape from the "heavy thinking" and that we are able to just enjoy simplicity. 

Each and everyone is unique, and together, they form a perfect mix. 

But when it comes to balance, there is one friend that stands out the most in my mind.  She is that special breed of friend who doesn't only fulfill one or two of my 'social needs'.  No, instead- on any given day, and in every possible way- she finds a way to fulfill all of them. 

Every hour spent with her is spent sharing laughter, sharing deep conversation, sharing the 'fluffy stuff' and the deeply personal and intimate.  She is the perfect person to vent to, but also the perfect shoulder to cry on.  She is always ecstatic to hear good news, and seems to always have the perfect words to ease my troubled mind in times of fear or sadness. 

On the surface, many would say that we have nothing in common. And they would be right.  She's all "Backstreet Boys" and "Disneyland" and I'm all "Metallica" and political debates. Thankfully, our friendship extends far beyond 'the surface'.  In our hearts, we're too peas in a pod because we're both people who desperate need a sense of harmony. Together, we form a statis in which the world simply makes more sense. 

She's the yin to my yang. And believe me when I say that my yang needs a lot of yin.

For that, and so much more, I'll be forever thankful to my wonderful friend, Erie. 

*word count: 492

This is post is part of the October Thanksgiving Challenge. I will post a new Thank You blog post every day during the month of October. I encourage you to follow Kevin, the mastermind of this challenge at www.kevinolenick.wordpress.com and fellow blogger Natasha at www.naturalurbanmamas.com. And, if you're up to it, consider doing your own challenge, big or small, to remind yourself to focus on the many blessings in your life.  I've also added a slight 'writing' component to this month's challenge: No posts are to exceed 500 words.