Morning. Greetings from the sleep deprived. I’m 99% sure the only reason I’m not sleeping is the fact that I am UNABLE to turn my brain off these days. It’s not a new phenomenon, but it’s annoying.

A week or so ago, I was having dinner with some friends and one of the women said: “it’s my story, and I’ll tell it when I’m ready.” Now, the point of this entry is NOT to tell her story but to ponder on the fact that each of us has our own story to tell.

It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day minutiae of life. It is so easy to get mired into the oh-s0-daily schwag of life. It’s easy to think that your stuff is bigger than everyone else. Or at least for me, it is easy to do so.

At about 3:00 am this morning, I was laying in bed- too tired to be productive, but too awake to sleep. I started running through the Rolodex of my people, pondering some of the information that they have shared with me. Often times, what is not said is more important than what is actually said. You have to listen to find the full story.

So easily we portray a tale of perfection via all of these obnoxious social media outlets we have at our disposal. So easily we launch a whine of epic proportions out to the atmosphere. Sometimes we need to vent, sometimes, we just want to get it off our chest. And sometimes, we just want to see if anyone is actually listening. Is someone following along with the story of our lives?

I’ve tried to be a better listener lately. Tried to quiet the constant shitstorm of inner monologue and be more present when I’m with my people. Listen to people talk about weight loss goals and not to interject my lifelong battle with the big ass. Listen to people quietly mention challenges that they are experiencing in their relationships. Listen to the tales of relationships. (Maybe I’ll learn something?)

Sometimes we just need to listen.

Sometimes we need to just be quiet and listen to the tale that is being told.

The older I get, I realize that the big ole happy ending that we have been conditioned to expect is sadly, not the reality, instead, we just need to enjoy the journey.

Sidenote, this particular story was somewhat derailed as I looked up to find Georgie the Terrible running around the house with a fresh roll of toilet paper, effectively “rolling” the little house on Lavender. Sigh.

Back to the point.

My story, ever changing and mostly chaotic, is not the only one. We all have a story. Next time you are with someone, put down the phone, look at your friend and just listen. They might have something important to say.