“When I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things.”

A year ago I was graduating with my MBA and I was going through a transition. You see before I was Original Diva, MBA I had a playground mentality. I wanted everyone to be my friend. If I was Susan’s friend and she was friends with Laverne then I wanted to be friends with Laverne too. I knew that those urges would change after I walked across that stage and actually got that hood. It wasn’t that earning an MBA suddenly elevated me to some elite status making me better than everyone else. No…it was achieving a goal. A personal goal. Original Diva didn’t go back to school to get a job with more money or move up the corporate ladder. Original Diva always dreamt of being an MBA and that dream was becoming a reality. I’m not sure I can ever put into words what it did for me but there was definitely a change.

So Original Diva, MBA doesn’t strive to have lots of friends on standby for the wedding day to throw her an enormous bridal shower and have 12 bridesmaids. Naaaaah. I’m good with what I have.
While I was watching Madea Goes to Jail last weekend, the character Madea made a reference. She said that she always puts people into categories like a tree. Some people, MOST people in the world, are leaves. Their only purpose is to shift when the wind changes and provide shade. When the seasons change, they die and fall off…..just like the leaves on a tree. So when the seasons of your life change the leaf friends you have will fall off. Stop trying to hold on to them.

Then there are the branches. Those are the tricky ones because you can have a friend that you think is strong and sturdy and as soon as you step out there on them, they break….just like that branch. But if you have you some root friends they aren’t going anywhere. Now think about it, a tree has thousands of leaves and hundreds of branches but it may only have 2 or 3 strong roots. The same applies to your friends AND THAT’S OKAY.

This year I became more defined in my categories and appreciating the people that go into them. The key is not to be mad at the leaves in your life. That is their purpose. You just be sure to treat them as such. We’ve all heard the “reason, season, lifetime” analogy. Don’t try making your seasonal people lifetime relationships.

So here I am having another before and after moment. Before Original Diva was 30 she was still struggling to tap into another side of her identity. Original Diva was always aware of seasonal people.

We’re at the after part now. Original Diva is appreciative of seasonal people. And when the season is over……we move on to the next one.

Smooches in Supply ~ Diva in Demand