Don't ya hate it when......

I just got back home from a lovely trip to the doctor's office for a pointless physical to tell my adoption agency that, Yes, I am still healthy and, NO, I haven't had any new diseases come up in my family for the past 2 years. When I say pointless, I don't really mean pointless, because these are the steps that must be taken to protect the child and to make sure they are going into safe and healthy homes, I just mean pointless because nothing has changed and yet I feel like I have to do the same old stuff over and over again for the exact same people. It gets tiring and well, yeah, I am tired.

One bright spot in my day was that my new friend Bekah joined me for the trip along with her adorable 8 month old son and she kept Little Girl busy for me while I was at my appointment, plus she accompanied me to my 3 favorite stores afterwards - Starbucks, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods! I gotta love a girl who likes all those places too!

Bekah and I somehow got on the subject of hating it when people offer unsolicited, un-helpful and un-encouraging advice to people of all new stages of life. Ya know what I mean. Like, when you first get married and all those people have to tell you that life will get harder and once the honeymoon is over you won't even want to look at him, and you just wait till the kids come, then you won't know what hit you, and on and on it goes.

It also can work in the realm of becoming a first time parent and everyone telling you to enjoy the infancy because the 2's are torture, or when they see you struggling with the one and they say "just wait until you have 2 or 3, then the real parenting begins".

Every once in awhile I even get the not-so-helpful comments on my adoption journey. I am all for experienced advice along the way - this is not the issue, it's the people that feel like they get some kick out of bringing another person down or into what they call "reality". "Oh you just wait until....." is my least favorite phrase. The sad thing is that I know I've used the verbage and said it myself, but when I am being cautious, I try to not go there.

We need to be built up in each phase of our life. Rejoiced with when we are rejoicing. Mourned with when we are mourning. And we need advice when we are actually asking for it. Ya know - the kind that is helpful.

I know this post seems like I have been possibly inundated with comments from people with ill-intentions, and this is absolutely not the case. I have amazing friends who are supportive, encouraging and rock my socks off in every possible way.

Just sharing an observation that was discussed with a friend over a Panera sandwich and soup on an overcast day sharin' a little encouragement with each other. I just hope that I am the kind of friend that can sit and listen to another friend's stage of life and say things that will encourage them and make them feel good about themselves and where they are at in their life.

Don't you gals?

I already have an awesome friend like this that exemplifies this picture to a "T". Can ya say Julie B.? She's the queen.