Celebrating Victories

I don't know about you, but I can guess you have had some victories in your life and some things that maybe have not been so great either. I think the one thing that surprises me, even though I have seen this happen many times in my own life or even with other's, is that people you feel should be happy for you, are not.
True friends and family will celebrate your most incredible victories no matter how big or small and will be there when you are in the lowest points of darkness in your life as well. That is what makes a friend a true and steadfast factor in your life.
I live in a neighborhood currently where 85% of the population is from another country. Yes, they are not familiar with this land, and I am also not familiar with theirs. I actually feel sometimes I live more amongst their own culture then my own because I am the minority. However, the other day I had a most amazing conversation that crossed all cultural bounds with my neighbor. She stood and spoke with me of how if her and her husband ever returned to  their own country, their own family would not be happy for them because they have succeeded so much here and made something of themselves. How interesting! Even in a culture so very different than ours. Jealousy still runs deep.
Why can't people, the one's you dearly love just be happy for you? It is the dark places in hearts that most never want to expose. The outward appearance of all that could be happy, with a fake smile, but somewhere deep inside there is that nagging feeling of, Why them? Why not me? He does not deserve that? She should never get to have that when I never did?
It is terrible, but the truth.
In my own life I have been in the most darkest of nights that my soul ached and my heart was so heavy I barley knew if I could get up off the floor most days from sobbing. In those times there has been one maybe two people that I knew I could share my inner most thoughts and they would never judge me, but be honest and true and most off all love me unconditionally. To this day, I consider them my closest and dearest earthly treasures.
These are the kinds of individuals that you strive to make connection with and in your whole life you maybe have 4 or 5 at the most, that you will ever be that totally open and transparent with on a daily basis. These dear one's celebrate your victories, even if it is so small as, "you got through one day without a donut!". These are the jewels in your life that shine through all the muck you have had to tread through to get to where you are today.
Celebrating every little thing today can change your entire life, your way of thinking, your way of acting, and your way of loving! Thank you to the dear treasures God has placed in my life. I hope you too, can find a few of your own.