Life In A Nutshell

Life is like a board game. Always going, constantly moving, never-ending. The face that you show is like chess. You are always strategizing, contemplating your next move.  If you put out the wooden chess set, that is beautiful in its own essence, and will last a lifetime, without the possibility of damage in the long run. The other option is a glass set. They are magnificent in their own way. Their strength however, is what is brought to question. Everyone wants a glass set, not only because they are easy on the eyes but they go with everything in the room. The problem with glass though, is the fact that under extreme pressure it breaks. Every obstacle that we face in our lives, is just like chess. The problem is, I suck at chess. I have never been that good at strategizing or planning ahead. Life isn’t just about playing the game though. It’s about who you have on your team. I am lucky enough to have found the one person that helps me to balance things out. That person, my person, is my amazing husband. He helps keep me grounded. He helps put life into focus so that together we can think calmly and rationally, and figure out a solution to whatever obstacle is in our way. He is my person. The one that I know I can go to with any problem and receive no judgement. He loves me for who I am and always encourages me to become a better person. There can always be more than one person on your team. Just make sure that the team you choose, always has your back. I have only met a select few people in my life that have never let me down and I know I can rely on them to be there for me for any obstacle. None of those people have ever been my blood family. I know that the saying goes, “Blood is thicker than water.” I find that statement to be completely false.  I have found that it's not about how long someone has been in your life. It's about who comes into your life, shows that they are truly there to help you grow as a person, proves it, and never leaves. There will be a lot of people that will come into your life, stay for only a short period, do some damage, and leave again. Then, there are those that come into your life and prove why it never worked out with anybody else. They show exactly why they are meant to be in your life. Some people are there for a few chapters of your life, while others have a lasting impression on who you are going to become.     I was in the ninth grade when I met one of the first people to join my team. It has never been easy for me to open up to others. This time was no different. I couldn't stand this person at first. The summer before junior year of high school, I met two more people that would join my team. After high school, I thought that I had finally met the one person that would join my team and never leave. Never turn on me. Little did I know just how wrong I was on that one. We’ll save that story for another chapter though. Other people have come and gone. Until the day that I finally met that one person. My person. Jonathan. I wasn’t looking for anyone. I was in a very bad place when we met.      Life is full of surprises. It can be challenging, surprising, and very scary at times. However, when you have all the right people as a support system, everything just seems to start falling into place. Sometimes life sucks. And that’s okay. You can hit rock bottom and still survive. Having those around you that you can trust and rely on can help make those challenging times a little less challenging. It makes the bad times not seem so bad, and the good times a hell of a lot better.