fulfilled

For over 24 hours, a Facebook picture has been steeping in my heart.  It's of a young family that I love, gathered with friends at the seashore in celebration of the birthday of one of the two daughters.  About a dozen or more adults & children, all grinning like crazy, basking in friendship & the special moment.  It got me thinking AGAIN about the power & importance of friendship.  This morning - it's around 6:15 a.m. - it got me remembering something that I would tell myself back in my friendship-starved teens & twenties, a wish that, in my 60s, has been thoroughly & spectacularly fulfilled.

Being the relationship-craving person that I am & seeing precious little of it in my life, my comfort was that I'd rather have a life filled with fulfilling friendships when I was considerably older than when I was young.  Now, it interests me that I never seemed to entertain the idea that it was possible to regret not having developed relationships at both times, because the Universe seemed to take my request as stated.  Decades without substantial friendship, then a wondrous bounty in upper middle age.  Just as I asked for.  

It took me until the late part of last year to fully realize & accept how graced my life is with significant friendships.  Was so used to having pleasant acquaintances, I still saw myself as I'd bereft of the real deal.  It took writing about it on Facebook - dear Facebook! - and people commenting, "Whaaaaaa??" that reality finally sank in.

Was it over thirty years ago that it first dawned on me that the Universe is an eager partner, waiting to jump in & act on clear instructions?  This certainly seems to support that belief.  Yet, still I can forget that it benefits all when I ask for the moon, rather than be stingy with my wishes.  Am bemused at how things turned out, somewhat rueful that my clearly expressed wish was that if I couldn't have friendship in both my youth  & older age, older age was my preference.  If only I'd added, "But I'd REALLY like substantial & sustained friendships right now, too - thank you!!"

Hmmm... Has me wondering what wish instructions I could be sending right now that I hold back on, in spite of having seen time & time & time again what an eager partner I have in the Universe, just waiting to hear the next item to set about fulfilling!  

Universe - looking around me, holding that picture of Celia's birthday & all the grinning friends in my heart because I relate to it, not long for it, I thank you for all of the everything that fills my heart, feeds my psyche & nourishes my soul.  I promise to realize more often that your own dearest wish is to be told about ours, so that you can do what you love to do, are here to do - help make them happen, because you are the ultimate fulfillment center.   I thank you for it all & promise to keep appreciating all your bounty that graces my life, all that waits to arrive.  Blessing back at ya!