Saturday, December 10, 2016

The Exceptions.

Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother, Cousin, Aunt, Uncle… everyone has some sort of title.  A title that is attached to a relationship they are naturally born into. 

But like some things, there are exceptions.

Exceptions for the people that mean so much more than these words and titles. You talk about them but can’t really seem to find the words you’re looking for.  We may find ourselves spending time and energy trying to puzzle more words together or find that perfect phrase to simply describe them. We even go to the extent of thinking that these words will express what they mean to us or how much we appreciate them.  Sadly, were often left empty handed because there are no words to sum it all up. Maybe it’s unfortunate that we can’t find these words, but maybe… just maybe… it’s a blessing we should be thankful for.  To have someone so exceptional that you are the only person that will ever truly feel their impact.

I have spent the past 21 years growing up, laughing, learning, and making memories with someone.  I have also spent these years finding new ways I appreciate them, cherish them, and when I talk about them … I am often trying to find that perfect sentence to sum up all they are to me.

I haven’t found that perfect phrase and I have come to terms I never will. 

I wont go into detail about our relationship, our experiences together or even how much she means to me. That blog would most likely turn into our inside jokes you wouldn’t understand, the fact that we think were hilarious, or the impact she’s had on me that no one else feels but me.  However, I will mention one of the biggest privileges I have had in life while growing up and that she has taken a significant part of. 

This privilege is… finding your people.

I often sit back and reflect on the impact individuals have had on my life.  I think about who I would be without these people, or the different experiences I have had with them.  I think about the laughs I would have missed out on if they weren’t around, or the lack of fun life would be if they weren’t so amazing.  However, when I recently had these thoughts it was the word “deployment” that kicked me to my butt with mixed emotions, juggled thoughts, reflection, and questioning.  

Deployment.
Something that I have zero control over.
Something that incorporates so much risk.
Something that takes truly special people to put themselves in this situation.
Something that will always make my mind unsettled.
Something that’s now going to be part of our relationship

Finding your people is amazing.  It’s having people that support you beyond means you ever thought possible. It’s having solid roots when you’re growing wild.  Its having people that remind you of who you are and what you are worth when you are completely lost in life. 

However, having people sometimes stings too.  It’s a state of being selfless and knowing that sometimes… they’re going to be set free, chasing a dream, completing a mission, or pursuing something different that you may have absolutely no say in.  In fact, you may serve as no part of the journey except to simply root for them the entire way.  You may not even know what it means to them, but you have faith that it’s what they need. You come to terms that those aspects of having “people” stings… but you wouldn’t have it any other way.    

I didn’t have to look hard to find one of my people.  Instead, I was blessed that she fell from the sky and landed as one of my family members. 

At the end of December she gets deployed to Iraq, and to say that I will miss her is an understatement but how selfish would it be for me to keep her here.  To hold her back from what she wants and a passion she is chasing with all her being. 

I will crave a hug, a laugh, and a random visit but to see an amazing person pursuing something that has been life changing for her… THAT alone, makes it all worth it. 

“Find your people”

These are people that have created an impact on us through lessons, laughs and memories that in the end no one will understand but ourselves.  You may find yourself talking to people, unable to express your feelings through words or expressing emotions that people will never be able to grasp but you.  However these are the aspects of life that should be cherished.  The aspects of life that words just cant seem to sum up.  No Pinterest quote, no title, and no Instagram filter can do it. Rather, it is a silent part of our life that only we will understand.  

It’s the chills you get when you see them accomplish something
It the smile you get when they send you a stupid text
It’s the racing heart you feel when you’re waiting for big news from them
It’s the tears you cry when they’re hurt, because deep down its hurting a part of you
It’s the weightlessness you feel when they hug you and you feel home
It’s the clear mind you have when you’re finally together and everything feels right. 

It’s the exceptions.

So there we have it.  Find your people – and hold them close.  Not because they may be taken away, but because they may be doing badass things you will only be able to root for from afar. 

With leaky eyes, and a knot in my throat I’ll end with this…

The best things in life aren’t things. They are the exceptions.  The things that can’t be expressed with words or titles, and are instead just meant to be … felt.


Gretch, this ones for you
Love you & Always rooting for you