Self, Meet Self

I've been working hard lately to become friends with someone I've known for a long time.
Myself.
Not really my self-self....my emotional self and I are ancient friends. Old friends of the 'finish each others' sentences' variety. We've ridden life's roller coaster together, hold nothing back, keep no secrets. My spiritual self and I have grown very close these last years. There's been much wrestling and struggling, doubting and believing. We're in sync.
The self I'm working hard to befriend of late is my physical self.
The most elusive.
The least understood.
The most feared.
The least cared for....
the least cared for of all of my selves.

So, I ask myself. When I want to nurture a friendship, what do I do?

I take steps towards the other. I move out of my comfort zone. Initiate.
I open my eyes. Watch closely. Learn.
I extend my hand. Reach out. Give of myself. Offer good gifts.
And, more than anything else...I listen.
Nothing pulls me closer to another than listening closely to all that they have to share.

So that's what I'm trying. Especially the listening. The learning and the listening. It's a very strange reality to recognize that I've spent most of my life living as a stranger in my own body. Acting like it really didn't belong to me. Afraid it was ultimately stronger than I was. And certainly not caring for it like I could have.

I've been told I'm a very good, very loyal friend.  I sure do try to be. I believe the day will come when self - physical self - will wake up, look at me in the mirror, and thank me for being that good, loyal friend. I'm looking forward to the day when this new and promising friend will have turned into one of the known and precious variety.

Today I gave myself the gift of green. Lots of smmmoooooth green.
And physical self was quite pleased with me!
I think we'll hang out again soon.

{Smoothie Recipe Here}

Joining friends for

Little Things Thursday

and 

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop