Get by with a little help from your friends...

I'm sure ya'll are familiar with the term "support system." You know, the people you surround yourself with to cheer you up, cheer you on, etc. The notion is probably a little cliche, but it really is a good idea to take a moment and make sure you've got one in place. School = stress, after all. Or, maybe you're like me--graduated yet no job landed. Not fun. Maybe you've graduated and do have a career in place. Regardless of your specific situation, they haven't coined the term "quarter life crisis" for nothing, right?


Here's a glimpse at my support system. It's only fair that I share mine, because I really want you readers to share yours!

Numero uno: Faith. It's amazing how connecting with something/one bigger than yourself can make you feel secure. Especially if your future is unsure; Faith can really give you a purpose in life, beyond sitting on your parent's couch watching Project Runway marathons. Not that there's anything wrong with that...;)

video courtesy of jimvwmoss...because it's adorable.

Family. Whatever your particular family situation, I hope that there is at least one relation who you can relate to. Get it? Take my mom and step-dad for instance. Last night, I literally (accidentally) burned a giant hole through our front porch. That's fire damage, people. But they still love me, and I still live there. It's pretty nice to know that clearly no matter how much I screw up, they've got my back.

Take a guess on number 3..........yep, you got it---friends. It's hard leaving school and losing your dorm buddies and classmates. Thanks to Facebook and Myspace, you don't have to lose touch permanently. But there's other options, too. Recently, I've started hanging out with one of my best friends from high school again. I also spend a lot of time with my cousins--now that we're older we get a long surprisingly well!

And the last source I've found is a little less intimate, but definitely encouraging. It's the people who work at the places I haunt. Specifically, the local librarian and crew. I spend a lot of time here (I'm typing from the library now), and just by being friendly I've got some people interested in who I am and what I do, which is nice. Also, I've established "my" coffee house of choice, and it's the same deal there. A bit of the Cheers theme song is SO true, sometimes you really DO have to go where everybody knows your name.

Tell me: who supports you??