Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of leftovers. Suffice it to say that, to me, leftovers are like the scraps of a dish. The term leftovers applies to many things in life… Not just food. We go out to eat because we are excited about fresh food and an amazing entree. We don’t go out saying yes, please give me the leftovers today. The same thing applies to life. We surely don’t, or shouldn’t, accept being the leftovers for anyone. I have a friend who was treated like the entree for several years, only to now be treated as leftovers. Why is it ok for her to receive the final five minutes of the day? She should have received the main course of attention. Don’t wait until you’re exhausted and have given your attention to everyone else to then only give your final minutes to the one you should value most. Don’t get me wrong, having your person be the last one you talk to before you go to sleep is also important…..even if a text to say goodnight. You know the saying…..you’re the first person I think of when I wake up and the last person I think of when I go to sleep…..still important to live that. When I was married, I used to ask my husband “why is it that everyone gets the best of you, and I get what’s leftover at the end of the day?” He never had an answer for that. Given how things transpired and ended the marriage, I can only surmise that he chose to value so many others over me….over our relationship. No connection throughout the day….no call when he actually had energy….no desire to ask about my world and really have the capacity to hear about it…..no interest in sharing what was happening in his day at work or who he might have caught up with. Others received those parts of him. I think there may be so many others who are able to relate, as they feel like they are or were the leftovers for someone. We have to nurture our relationships as if they were a filet mignon, not a chicken nugget. The delicate grill to perfection…..it takes finesse, time, patience, attention to get it just right. Relationships deserve that same finesse. You can’t have the filet mignon of relationships without focusing significant attention, time and determination to growing the connection between the two of you. My sweet, sweet friend deserved better. For she thought she was living as a filet mignon, but turns out the effort put into her was leftovers. Leftovers spoil eventually…..they have a shelf life. We must expect more to gain more……we must contribute more to gain more. We shouldn’t have to ask to be the first thought, the twenty first thought, or the last thought of the day. If we aren’t at the forefront of one’s mind, and shown the best, average and worst parts of someone……daily……throughout…..then how much are we really worth to them? We all deserve to be the main course……the filet mignon! Don’t settle for the chicken nugget that’s a near spoiled leftover.