Carnival!

Carnival...Rio de Janeiro style! There is a group in Tucson called the Centurions. I don't know a lot about them. All I know is that they do a lot of good work for local charities. One of the things they do is throw this giant event every year and the proceeds from the event go to the charities they support.

I've known Holly since high school. Long time! Holly is a busy professional, as am I, so we don't see each other very often. We occasionally exchange text messages or phone calls throughout the year. But Holly is really good at keeping up with her relationships, in spite of her busy work schedule, her two daughters, and her brand new grandbaby (cutest baby EVER!) No matter what, though, there are a couple of things that are constant for us. Superbowl, St. Patrick's Day, and the Centurion Party. The Centurion Party isn't a constant every year, but we try. I'm very fortunate to have several long-term friendships that have stood the test of time. I also have some new-ish ones that appear to be taking on the same characteristics of comfort level, lack of judgment, and pure acceptance of each other. For me, these are the best type to have. I am fairly introverted and have not always been good at putting effort into my friendships, although I have been working at it and getting better over the past few years. I love knowing that any time I want or need, there are people I can reach out to, or that know they can reach out to me. There is a lot to be said about constants. Who are the constants in your life? How do you mange/maintain the relationship? It's easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of life and let them fall away. If nothing else, take some time to just be thankful for them. One practice I've taken up is when I find I am thinking of someone for several days in a row, I give them a call or send a text. Usually it turns out that the call is timely. Take a minute today to reach out to your constants. Life is short.