Blog Post Seven

One Must Take Care

So I took a little (unintentional) hiatus from my blog. I hit a little bit of a writer’s block, and to be honest, I just got off my path. However, with some encouragement from my parents, I decided that who cares if I don’t have a “topic” to share. This blog is for me and I’ll just share what I’m thinking and feeling.

This weekend was a perfect time to get back after it because I was on my own! No distractions. Chris left for Winnipeg to visit his mother who is recovering from a fractured hip (#favoriteson). Typically, on a weekend that I am alone, I may not see anyone besides Hank (our mini-goldendoodle). I’m not great at making plans to see friends, but I’ve been trying to change that this year and so far, it’s going pretty well.

Last week Chris was showing his worry and concern over my hermit ways by bugging me at least twice to see if I had reached out to anyone. MESSAGE RECEIVED, Hubs. I appreciate his nagging ways (sometimes). Human connection is not just important, I would go so far to say it’s imperative for sustained happiness. On weekends when I have not left the house to meet a friend, my energy levels are visibly lower than on weekends when I have. Time with friends fills those emotional tanks of ours and helps us be better partners, better bosses, and better individuals throughout the week.

When I think back to being a kid, I was BIG on making weekend plans. I constantly was trying to convince my parents that I needed to have a slumber party on both Friday AND Saturday night. My social calendar was full. Somehow, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve lost that habit and I’m working to find a happy medium. Alone time to recharge is just as important as social time with friends.

Alas, it was Friday night around 7:30pm when I finally reached out to someone and made some plans. Not a stellar approach, but hey – I did it! Lucky for me, a new friend of mine recently moved into a condo nearby. I texted her to see if she and her pup, Bruce, would like to join Hank and I on Hank’s 11th birthday (!!) stroll on Saturday morning. We met at a great local and dog-friendly coffee shop in Kensington called The Roasterie, grabbed our morning brews and strolled through Riley Park while catching up. We eventually made our way to our favorite pet boutique, New Forest, and I picked out a new, snazzy (and expensive) bandana for my fierce fashionisto. Afterwards, we parted ways started our walks home

Hank, on the left, rudely asking for more treats from our friend Kelly. We let him get away with it because, well, I’m bad at disciplining and it was his bday! (sidetone, look at his little pink tongue just salivating for one of those treats 😂)

Although, we only hung out for maybe an hour and a half, it was amazing to feel my spirits lift. Talking and hanging out with friends is so important, and physical interaction and connection trumps phone calls. I don’t get the opportunity to see all of my friends in person as often as I’d like, since many live in Texas or Colorado, but as I’ve built up a network of fantastic women who I call friends here in Calgary, I’m trying to develop better habits of meeting up with them more regularly. For example, I’ve got a constant dinner crew that meets every month or so, I am part of a ladies golf league, and this year, I’m planning a girls’ weekend at our lake house where my American friends will merge with my Canadian friends, and I am confident numbers will be exchanged and new relationships will blossom.

I can feel myself creating roots and it feels good. Maybe I held back on building strong friendships because I didn’t think we’d stay in Calgary. Maybe I felt like this was just temporary, but 9 years is not an insignificant amount of time and Calgary is a beautiful (I’ll be it, cold) place to live. I am grateful for my family, my home, and even my job as it introduced to me these amazing women I call my friends. This is my home.

Some other things I did this week to try to stay connected with those who I love:

Called my SIL, Karen, and got caught up on the fam who I love and miss terribly
Exchanged some hilarious texts with a group of fabulous friends regarding an upcoming concert in Austin
Traded some sweet texts with my step daughter about our excitement over the Jasper 10k run at the end of the month
Cheered my stepson on from a distance as his volleyball team swept the competition at a tournament in Washington this weekend

Tonight, I’ll make Hank his favorite meal – dry fish kibble with cucumber. What’s the you say? A meal for the Gods? Don’t I know it! Only the best for my pup :) But seriously, I have no idea why he loves cucumbers so much; however, they make him happy and I love hearing him crunch down on them. Afterwards, I’ll probably sneak him up onto the couch to watch a movie, take him on one last stroll before bed and get back to my latest book, The $100 Startup. It’s number four on my list of books to read from Blog Post 1, New Year, New Goals. Once I finish all five, maybe I’ll give my thoughts on each…crap, I guess by writing it here, I’m holding myself accountable to do it?

Cheers friends and fam.

Xo,

Leigh

One Must Take Care

Blog Post Six