Frustrated

I am frustrated right now. I always get caught up helping a friend in a bad relationship and it always follows the same pattern, the same timeline and I do it because I love my friends. I probably love them more than they love themselves really. Anyway, somewhere in that timeline is always that moment where I just want to shake them until they get it, until they see what everyone from the outside looking in can see. It's this moment where I am so terribly sad that this creature, this woman created with all of God's love just does not understand her own worth. And it is in this moment that I am sure she has made a list of reasons why she should not be in this relationship and a list of reasons why she should stay. I don't know what could possibly be in the list of reasons to stay that could be so powerful as to make someone stay.

So in my frustration I asked my sister why it is that her and I are not in the same predicament. (Now mind you, I am not saying we never have been or never will be. If you know me, you know I have made some bad choices and so has she in our young and stupid days.) Her answer was so simple and absolutely right: "mom was an example that we don't need a man! nice to have but not NEEDED. "

So I look at my list of friends on myspace and it is the best example of what my sister has said. A lot of my friends that are on there and happy in their relationship with their man have had a strong role model in their life (Lil Mari, Ashley, Holly, Diana, Caryn, Ninet). Sometimes it it is the mother who is strong, maybe wears the pants in the family, or just has been treated with respect by her husband. Sometimes it is a father who has set the example as to how to treat a woman and has encouraged his daughter to have strong self-esteem. Thank you Mom. Thank you Dad.

All this makes me realize how lucky I am. I am so lucky to have found a man that loves me and respects me and takes care of me. I am so lucky that I love myself as much as I do because that way I know that no one would ever be allowed to hurt me again. And I am lucky to be surrounded by strong women that love themselves, love their husbands, and love their families. Let's go out and save the rest of them...no matter how much it frustrates me. :)