What I See--Alita

Oh, Alita!

What can I say? We've known eachother for so many years! Alita and I became acquainted first because our husbands worked together. Later, she and I worked together and have just kind of bonded...sometimes over the strangest things.

Alita is sweet when I am snarky. And then Alita can snark when I feel sweet. I think she is probably the most. giving. person. ever. Seriously. If I broke both my arms, Alita would actually fly to Montana to wipe my nose for me. Other parts, too, but let's not go there. (Brain bleach, please.)

In many ways, I think Alita's life journey has been one of the most complex of all the people I know. Her heart is the purest of the pure, but she has a healthy dose of salt to keep it all in balance. And yet, I don't think she has any real confidence in how special and amazing she is.

One of the things that many, many women struggle with (I think) is not feeling "allowed" to be angry. We want what we want when we want it, but do not feel that we have the right to express that. Alita may be the queen of that. :-) When she is frustrated or disappointed, I can see the internal struggle play across her beautiful face. And then she stuffs the frustration or disappointment down, where it very well may fester into a migraine.

She is creative and expressive and mothering and total buddy material. She hates computers but her hobbies belong on Pinterest. She hates shopping for clothes, but could spend half a day in a hardware store. Alita is beautiful, painfully unaware of that fact and thinks that she has cankles. When she says that, I roll my eyes so hard I can see my brain. She is the consummate wallflower and drives me batsh!t crazy with that. But I love her dearly for her humility.

I love her faithful heart, her consistent ability to give of herself, her perserverance and that occasional flash of ire that makes her approachable. Otherwise she'd be dang near a saint, and who can relate to that? Alita is the kind of friend who makes me want to aspire to be a better, kinder person. Everyone needs an Alita in their life.