What I See - Holly

I thought I'd run a little series on this topic, so let me start with a disclaimer: there is no order of importance here. I'm actually writing this in an order based more on longevity, but that is imperfect, too. Please don't read any meaning into who I write about in what order. :-)  Love ya!

I have often said that you can tell a lot about a person by who their friends are. I have also mentioned how special my own friends are. Of course I think they are special, they're MY friends! But every one of them has qualities and life experiences and talents that inspire me and inform my life in some way. Today, I want to tell you a bit about Holly, and what she teaches me. Maybe it will inspire you to take a long look at the friends you love, and consider what they teach you.

Holly is the poster child of insightful journeys of the spirit. She is a seeker with an analytical mind and a huge curiosity. I love how she is so wise and intelligent, at the same time as being as open and naive as a child. She is profoundly humble. I don't think that she has any idea how beautiful and special she is. That's part of her charm.

Holly is the unique friend who understands that usually-hidden part of my personality: my tendency to wander down mental bunny holes and think about something from so many points of view that it wears out most people to even know what I'm thinking. She can spend as much time in those mental meanderings as I can. Most people just tell us we "overthink" things. A very dismissive way to describe it, by the way. If you have a bunny hole thinker in your life, please don't call it "overthinking".  It is much more discerning than that. I'd be willing to bet that the people in your life whose insight or quick comprehension you admire, they're probably prone to bunny holes.

One of the things that I especially admire in Holly is her graceful rebound from some astonishing hardships in her life. Like many such beautiful souls, the painful parts of her history have made her both wise and wounded. Being able to live with wounds without bitterness or carping is a special gift. It gives her great empathy but also a realistic eye. That's a rare combination, don't you think?

I also love to be around intelligent, well-read, well-rounded people who are NOT know-it-alls. She is very accomplished, educated and working in a high power career...and still feels like she isn't very smart. Bwah hahahah. Not very smart. Funny.

So, yeah. She's pretty awesome. Smart. Funny. Curious. Wise. Humble. Beautiful. Insightful. A clean freak. When I look at my precious friend Holly, I see amazing.

And she likes my cooking!