I think it was your tone to be honest. Not all of my frieds are only interested in singing my praises. In fact, some of those comments came from the very people that inspired the post in the first place. The ones that can tell me “Hey, you’re not so good at seeing people.”

I would imagine it’s natural to be defensive when you see someone you love getting slashes taken at them on the internet. I don’t love hearing what you have to say – it is hard to have someone be so negative. But at the same time, I am committed to what I started. And if you have a strong opinion, so be it.

I am not saying that my friends think that you are wrong, you just have a way of stating it so that it has been coming across pretty hostile.

-JEBrown

(Steve, who was here before the other Steve…lol you crack me up. I’ll have to be sure he reads that.)

You might care about another person intrinsically just because of who they are, but not hang out with them because there’s nothing in it for you, thats fine. In contrast, someone who makes you feel good, or who makes you like yourself when you are with them, or who encourages you to be a better person might be a better “friend” simply because of how you feel when you talk to them. Anyone who does something for another person does so because it makes them feel good. That too is a selfish motivation.

Dont beat yourself up because you feel good when you hang out with your friends. That’s what they are there for. The question to ask is do *they* feel good when they hang out with *you*? That’s how you’ll know if you are being a good friend in return.

ps: jc, who the F are you? You clearly have no friends because all you do is troll around on other people’s blogs being a bitch. Go crawl under a rock somewhere and leave my FRIEND alone!

As for JC, it sounds as if he has been hurt and is transfering his anger toward you. I was once in his shoes judging other so harshly because I identified with the one being hurt.
“(i have a relative who fits this description to the “t”)”…start seeing others and accepting them for who they are especially those who are “different” then ourselves”
It always hurts when people you are open with don’t see and/or love you for who you are. Sorry JC.

All in all however, Jenny you did not hurt him personaly and he should not be scolding the one who wants to change. In fact, in my opinion, only the ones you actually hurt would have the right to judge you because they know the story. And as one of those people, I would have been foolish to act as if i was perfect without a blemish of selfishness. For just this morning I was in your place and my husband was in mine. the truth is wether we want to realize it or not, at some point in our lives we hurt someone because of our inadeqecies.

I love you Jenny and i am thankful for our open, honest and real relationship; even if that means we have to endure the ugliness within us.
Because I truly want to grow I will surround myself with the wise and the unfoolish, for only the foolish man believes he is perfect and needing no council.

Shine on girl in the grace and love God grants us all. One of my favorite songs in church sings out the truth:
“holy surrender…so sweetly broken”)

Thank you Lord for caring enough about us to break us, mold us, and heal us, so we may be more like you.

The bad news is that the mirror does not end.
I think it keeps getting bigger. Especially in marriage. That caring, unconditional supporter you hope for turns out, because they care and you care that they care, to be the worlds largest mirror with a magnifying glass attached.

The good news is that you are saving yourself endless grief by grappling with the mirror now, getting your practice in, so to speak.