Lessons Learned from Barney Stinson

Jarrod and I love the TV show, How I Met Your Mother. It is such a funny and entertaining show that personifies true friendship. And, as strange as it may sound, I have to say that Barney is one of my favorite characters. Sure, he is sleazy and treats women horribly - but he values his friendships and would do anything for his best friends.

I am not going to lie - life has been rather stressful for Jarrod and I since our wedding. What was supposed to be our "honeymoon period" quickly turned into, what I believe, one of the hardest times of our lives. Everything seemed to be falling apart around us.

In just the past month my dad suffered a stroke, had to have emergency surgery on a perforated bowel, had blood clots in his legs and lungs, and an infection in his blood and heart valve. He was on a ventilator in ICU for over a week. Doctors were only giving him a 10 percent chance to live. To add to the chaos, my cat had a sudden psychotic episode and I had to deal with some scares with my own health. It has seemed, what could go wrong...did.

Life has certainly been emotional and stressful. Saying I was depressed and sad are understatements, but the love and support from friends have helped lift my spirits. And, during this time, I was able to identify my true friends. The ones that truly cared about what was happening in my life. The ones who called me to see how I was doing. The ones who consistently reminded me that they were praying for my family. The ones that were there with supportive and reassuring words.

What I am taking away from this experience is how to be a better friend. To make sure I am there when my friends need a helping hand. There when they need someone to listen. And there when they just need encouragement. As Barney says, I am going to stop being sad and be awesome instead. An awesome friend.

True story.