Monday, November 06, 2006

Birthday Walk With Marque

Today I had a birthday walk with my new friend Marque. I say "new" because we've been friends for a couple months now. I think it was around September when I did that workshop at a conference - that was about the time we discovered that we connected well. He's an incredibly refreshing guy to talk with because he's honest and he's real and I love talking with him because neither of us have to put up any kind of charade about ourselves. We can just be who we are - and that's simply acceptable. Comfortable, even.

This is a friendship along my journey that i've wanted to be intentional about developing because he's such a great guy to have as part of one's social support network - as a friend. Today we went on a "birthday walk" - but really it just marked the first of our routinely Monday evening walks along the beach and parts of Long Beach. We both have talked about being more active so we decided to start walking together. It'll give us a context to continue growing in our friendship and it'll also keep us accountable to getting our exercise in. I'm so much better at keeping appointments and so if I know he's counting on me showing up, then I will. But if I didn't have that meeting set, then i'd likely and typically flake on myself thinking, "oh i'm tired. i'll just exercise tomorrow" - which i've done and said to myself plenty of times.

So this was a good connection. I call it a "birthday walk" because we're both journeying together. All of these birthday connections that i'm hoping to have this week isn't about celebrating "me" per se - rather, it's about celebrating the relationships that God has given to me.

So Marque is a gift and I thank God for him. =)

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are you going to have any birthday week connections the week after your birthday? If so, I want to be a post birthday week connection. - Brian

Peterson Toscano said...

NICE and happy Birthday. It is so wonderful to see how you are celebrating the birthday season--it is so much more than a day.

Hey I will be in Palm Springs this week Thur through Mon. Would LOVE to see you if you have time for a visit. I will be busy with the conference and presentation on Saturday but have lots of other free time if you want to hang.

I will even bring you a birthday gift!

Anonymous said...

Hi Eric

Happy Birthday!!! I hope you get to spend this day exactly how you want to.

I turned 34 this year... but in my own mind... I'm eternally in the 8th Grade...lol

Anonymous said...

Hello. Happy Birthday. First of all let me say I haven't read much of your blogs but intend to - just from what I read in the one about being open with faults and uncertainties was refreshing and I applaude you.

Also, I have a question.... in this photo I see red shirts and what looks like the DCA turnstiles? Did you go to GD2? I went also. Just cuious about your experience if you went. :)

Anonymous said...

Eric,

I’ve known Mark longer that you and I can truly say, he’s one of the good guys!

Dave_62