Summer weekends are for burning your skin off.

Okay, so my skin isn't actually burned off, it's just kind of pinkish. But, there's going to be another afternoon spent by the pool today, so goodness only knows what it will look like tomorrow. Stupid skin.

I've been spending a lot of time with my friends Liz, Jonathan, Josh and Teri. Teri and Josh's apartment complex has a pool, so we've been swimming and enjoying the sunshine. It's been ridiculously hot outside, so I suffer through the sunburns and mosquito bites to swim. Don't worry, it'll pay off. I'll be a bronzed goddess after a couple of days.

I've been hiding out at Teri and Josh's because there seems to be so much going on with most of my friends. It's nice to take a break from gossip, especially when the gossip involves people I care about. I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't want to broadcast every detail I know. Some things just aren't anyone's business. Don't get me wrong, I love all of my friends. At the same time, though, I have my own issues. I don't live a perfect charmed life, and sometimes I just can't handle everyone's problems. Right now, I need to bask in all the positivity I can find.

I think that's the biggest life lesson I've learned lately. Negativity only creeps into your life if you let it. Yes, bad things happen, but how we respond is what determines what kind of positive or negative energy we feel. Our lives only take on a positive direction if we let them. A friend once told me that what makes us human is our ability to decide how we feel about anything. That doesn't mean we can choose to be happy when it's easy. It means that we can choose to feel good about our lives all the time.

I have a friend right now who is coping with a lot. She's been hurt a lot, but she still has her head up. That's the kind of person I want to be...someone who handles negativity with poise and grace. She doesn't even realize what an impact her strength has on the people around her. She's teaching us all how to stay positive no matter what.

And think, I'm complaining about the sunburn I haven't even gotten yet.