fact FRIDAY.

FACT FRIDAY and some rambling.

As a whole… no body CARES. I do not mean that in a disparaging way. Trust me, it’s a RELIEF.

Yeeeears ago, soon after marrying my hubby (at 19 - YIKES), we moved to Edmonton for him to pursue Pharmacy.

A friend of my SIL shared some advice that I have never forgotten.

She said something along the lines of ‘The secret to making friends is to just listen and don’t TALK so much. Everyone just wants someone to listen to them - they are too busy wanting to be seen to be judging you’. She was one of those people that had a staid, yet vibrant nature that emitted safety. And everyone DID like her.

I am not sure if she was offering me a HINT, or it was just a passing conversation exchange…

Truth be told… in social situations I was quite loquacious back then - not so much these days… It was like everything needed to spill out to let everyone know I was approachable and not ‘weird’. Empty spaces surely meant judgment. Quite frankly, many times they did. Hearings aids were a notable disparity.

These days, I am more likely to wait for an invitation to speak. I prefer to ask questions or observe. It is rather nice. I am not sure if it is because of that advice given so many years ago. as I certainly did not follow it then…

Those friends closest to me still need to brace themselves for the chatter and nonsense… some things never die. I used to feel rather mortified for how boldly I behaved, but I have softened and realized my younger self was surviving and usually had the best intentions (never malicious ones, at least - just self preserving maybe?).

Pictured below are photos I never shared from a 2020. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that my kids and nieces have always been my stalwart models for my doll pursuits. I spent hours peeling beets and dying old sheets to create a backdrop in an attempt to fit my vision… The dye never really set, but the kids charmed the whole shoot to perfection! Now I look back and see how LITTLE and DARLING they were - my heart feels SO FULL.