33. The Weakest Link

I have awesome friends. In real life. It's to the point that I sometimes wonder whether everyone else has friends like mine (and I just think I'm lucky), or whether I really did win the friend lottery and line up 5 or 6 winners back to back. I really think it's the latter. Maybe I'm wrong. At any rate...

One of my favorite things about the folks around me is their drive. I'm surrounded by people who wake up everyday, ask themselves how they can be better, and go out and do really creative things to make themselves and other people better. Some of it's academic; some of it's professional; some of it's social. But they're all pretty ambitious when it comes to being the best they can be. And for the last 5 years or so we've all been brainstorming the amazing work we'll eventually do together when we've each come into our own as teachers, and artists, and parents, and moguls.

And now, out of "nowhere" all the little stars over our heads are starting to line up. This last month has been remarkable for how many blessings and opportunities (I think those are the same things) have befallen my little circle of special people. The things that we've said we wanted to do, that we would do one day, are literally falling into our laps. All around me folks are making moves, some literally =), to accomplish the things they've dreamed of doing.

So when my own magical little opportunity recently presented itself, I couldn't help but marvel at it. And as much as I appreciate it, I'm even more driven by a desire not to fall behind my friends than I am by the desire to realize the thing I want most in the world. This isn't a bad thing (I don't think). It's just that I've grown to think of my folks as a team. As a member of the team, when everyone is contributing, you don't want to be the one who keeps turning it over. Especially not when you know you have something to contribute.

So even if I *might* be liable to let a remarkable opportunity slip through my fingers (I'd like to think I wouldn't), I couldn't do that and look my friends in the face. I want to feel like I deserve to be on the team. Not because I had some great games last season, but because of what I'm doing now. That's the thing about my team... It's very "What are you doing with your life right now?" There are no weak links.