Ray of Sunshine...

I just spent a wonderful two + hours with a friend of mine who moved away about a year ago to accept a job in the same company, but a different state.  She went west and now lives in Colorado... but recently (as in a week ago) got married and was in town on a temporary basis waiting to go on her honeymoon.

I email her and chat with her in meetings or via brief phone calls, but before she moved, we chatted nearly every day. I have never met anyone with such a positive, can-do, WILL-do, everything  you want is going to happen attitude.  You would think that a person like that would get aggravating to be around, but I have to say... it isn't.  Really, don't get me wrong, she totally has her moments of darkness, of depression, of wondering "why" or "why me" and has spent a great deal of time sharing frustrations and venting to and with me. She is an everyday "normal" person... not one of those caricaturistic optimistic cheerleaders.   But just her aura has that "lightness" to it.   Even when she's complaining, she's smiling.

I can't explain it... but those couple of hours with her was a breath of fresh air.  She vented about the frustrations of her imperfectly perfect wedding, family tensions and other situations, but we laughed and ate and chatted and her light just exuded from her.

By the time we hugged goodbye, I felt I had a ray of sunshine warming me from the inside.  She really just has that effect on me.  I didn't realize how much I have missed that in my every-work-day life... but it was nice to be warmed by her aura for these few moments.  I really needed it!