Find out who your REAL friends are

There is nothing like having a crisis to weed out the casual acquaintances with the true "be there for you no matter what" friends. It's one thing when people want to come hang out in your really cool house with the really cool pool. Or spend the weekend with you out on the really cool houseboat on the lake. But let a little thing like "bankruptcy" or "foreclosure" come along, and most of those people suddenly have much better things to do with their time. They begin to avoid your phone calls for fear of having to spend the weekend helping you move out of your now foreclosed home.

When you are at the bottom is when you can spot your true friends. The ones you know you can call up at a moments notice to give you a ride to the doctors office because your car is now on the repo lot. Or you can pick up the phone at 3 a.m. and have someone to talk to because you can't sleep and you are about to have a nervous breakdown. The ones who invite you to come over for dinner on Saturday night because they know you don't have enough food in the house to last until payday.

These are the people who have never judged you for what you have - or don't have. They have always liked you just for who you are. You just never knew it! Sometimes it takes losing everything to be able to look around and see whats left. The things that are left are the things that matter. You see, good things always come from the lows in life. They are learning experiences, although it never feels like it at the time.

Back in 2005, I walked away from an 18 year marriage with nothing but my 3 kids. I had suffered through an abusive marriage because I was afraid I couldn't do it on my own. It took me many years of building up the courage to walk away. In the midst of that low point in my life, I couldn't see the other side of the mountain. All I could do was keep going and pray for the best. After 6 months of being on my own with my kids, I met a man who had 2 small kids of his own. We starting dating and only a month later the kids mom, his ex, was killed in a car accident.

We are now happily married and have the responsibility of raising all 5 of our kids, but we are doing it together. I often think back at the timing of it all and I am amazed at how things always happen for a reason. Even when we can't possibly see how any good can come of a situation, it happens.

I know you can't see past this right now, but I can assure you that you will come out the other side a better person for it. And you will have people there with you that you will know without a doubt that they are your true friends.

Until next time, keep you chin up and don't give up!

Trina