I, uh, Should've Ordered That!

My mom will probably grimace when she reads this, and it's probably one of those had-to-be-there kinda moments too, but a long long time ago on a road trip to Utah (I believe), we pulled over for some breakfast at Denny's. After hours of driving with 5 kids in the car, we were all punchy and I'm sure my mom was exhausted. For some reason (I have no idea why except that three of us were teenagers, which, usually explains it) we couldn't stop laughing at Mom (it must be so much fun to be her sometimes). Every thing she said was funny at that moment. She ordered, "legs, uh, I mean eggs, with that" (we roared!) and then "Oh waitress! 'scuuse me!! and some milk. I, uh, should've ordered that." My older brother spewed his water across the table and we just couldn't contain ourselves any longer.

I'm not sure I've ever laughed so hard in my life, and to this day, that's one of our family jokes for things we shoulda, woulda, coulda done.  "I, uh, should've ordered that!"

One of those times was just recently when my friend, Krista, suggested that I approach AnneMarie, owner of Willa Home, about selling my Good Fortune line of throw pillows. AnneMarie and I have teamed up on a couple of projects, but it really didn't occur to me that she might be interested in carrying them in her shop (even though they been scattered through my house and stacked in my office while I figure out 'how' to sell them).

"I, uh, should've ordered that!"

[caption id="attachment_3831" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Here's the Rock Star painting along with the Rock Star and Good Fortune pillows in my room"][/caption]

Sometimes we get so focused on getting through the day, checking things off the list, on solving a problem or pursuing a dream that we don't see the most obvious things in front of us. That's why it's great to have friends around to call out those right-in-front-of-your-nose kind of situations. When you're open to the people who want the best for you, you benefit from that mirror they hold up for you.

Anne LaMott writes about "Shitty first Drafts" in her book about writing called Bird by Bird. Partly autobiographical, partly instructional, and partly hilarious, Anne talks about how important it is to have others read your work, as you progress, for that 'outside' perspective. She also talks about being really selective about those eyes. She advises that you pick only friends who love you deeply and want the very best for you, and seriously consider eliminating those from your life who aren't completely honest with you AND who don't love every single word you write. In other words, your closest friends will protect your feelings as best as possible while still being honest about how you're doing.

We don't always like what our closest friends have to say, but when we trust that they love us and want the best they can state the obvious in a way that opens up the world and pushes us forward in the best possible ways.

Thank you, all of my dearest, most honest and loving friends. Thank you, Krista!