An Angel Is Born

One of my really good friends had her baby the other day. I can't even begin to express how much happiness she is bringing me. I will be the first to admit that for awhile I distanced myself from her and didn't rejoice with her as much as I should have. I wasn't doing good with my own situation. I was having a poor me pity party and it saddens me that I wasn't there for my friend 100% of the time. That kills me. She needed me and I wasn't there.
We've talked about things since then and I have explained(no excuses) why I acted as I did and I feel she has forgiven me. She may not know the exact feelings I was having but she understands it, understands me. She knows how much I have been hurting and she has always tried to be there for me. I wish I would of just expressed what was going on and talked to her rather than trying to hide away. I not only hurt myself by doing that but I hurt her...and that hurts me even more.
She has been through a lot and instead of letting things get to her, she learned from them. She grew from them. She continues to grow as a child of God, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister and a friend. She is absolutely beautiful from the inside out and I am honored to call her my friend.
For a long time things were foggy for me. I couldn't see straight. I only knew the here and now and couldn't see past my pain and struggles. Then things changed. I changed. I continued going to church and praying. I confessed my sins to God and asked for his forgiveness, I was saved. I really just started believing as a whole with absolutely no doubt in my mind. I have given all of my pain and suffering to God and I've honestly been happy...something I really haven't been in a long time.

I was able to be truly happy for my friend. I was happy for her before but I carried a lot of sadness and grief with it and then one day it was gone. The only thing left was a heart full of love, happiness and real genuine smiles. Going through our hard times together has brought us closer. For that I am thankful. I'm able to be there for her completely now and it brings me such joy. Her daughter brings me great happiness. I feel a connection with her, this precious child. I feel like God has taught me great lessons through her: Hope, Faith and Unconditional Love. I truly am blessed. I have so many amazing friends, it almost doesn't seem fair to the world that I managed to capture all the great ones out there.

Congratulations to my amazing friend and her family.

Photo credit: Brian Moreno Barker (*edited by me)