Hi Guys. I wanted to share with you a piece of a conversation I had yesterday with an old friend who has been divorced for about a year now. she has 3 young boys and is doing a pretty decent job at carving out a life for them. We were talking about her "need" to have a man in her life and the measures she is going through just to have someone around. She would say things like "I would like to have a man to share Christmas with". I understand wanting to have someone around and how crippling that can be sometimes. I wanted to share this because the holidays are here and I'm sure a few of us wish Santa would bring us something or someone warm to cuddle up in our beds with.

I tried to empathize with my friend and found that it only went so far, before the real me came to the surface. I told my friend the story about where my marriage took a turn for the ugly. I told her about the drunken fight I had with my husband and how when he would stay out late I would lose sleep waiting on him to come home to see if I had to defend myself again. I use to have a bag next to my door. It had a change of clothes, an extra key to the house and car and an extra bankcard...all of this in case I needed to make a hasty retreat. Then I told her about how lonely it is to live alone and how great it would be if Santa had a nice guy who closely resembled "The Rock" under my tree....and how Santa already brought me what I needed when he brought me PEACE OF MIND. "The Rock" would be good but you can't buy, sell or trade PEACE OF MIND.

I share this with you because I know so many if us are feeling alone but where one door closes another one opens. Yes, he or she is gone and our lives are changed forever but if you take time to listen to what's going on around you..you just might find that the fighting and arguing has stopped and you're not living for someone else..and you have to freedom to be who you are and who you want to be...You'll find peace of mind is golden.

I love you guys and Merry Christmas.
jac-