Day 10 of Thanksgiving: November 10, 2011

I am thankful for friends.

I have never been the type of person who wants or needs to be surrounded by a lot of people.  At any given point in my life, I have had a few close friendships and a bunch of "acquaintance-ships".  Hubby is also that way to some extent, and so are our kids.  I don't think that's a bad thing.  I would much rather be surrounded by one or two people who truly know and love me versus being in the middle of a crowd of people who wouldn't notice if I went missing.

I am really blessed with the friendships in my life. 

BFF:  I have known my BFF since we were twelve.  We have lived miles and miles apart for most of our adult lives and yet our friendship remains the same.  We can go for two weeks without talking and then talk on the phone for two hours like teenagers.  Whenever we are lucky enough to see each other, we pick up just as if it was yesterday that we were last together.   She understands me, she knows the best and the worst about me, she is my summer concert buddy and my know-everything-about-what's-on-sale buddy.  Her family is like my own and I wish our friendship could be more every-day and not so long-distance.

S - I met this friend through church over five years ago.  She's my every-other-Tuesday lunch buddy who makes me laugh, is a good listener and is always up for a gripe-fest.  She is always there for me to talk to, she loves my kids and can always tell me where to buy the most obscure item when I need something. 

R - I met my walking-partner friend through another friend.  She is generous and caring and always the first to help out whenever someone (especially me) is in need.  She loves my kids and my cats.  She is fun to hang out with and gives me that day-to-day friendship every woman should have.  

K - A couple of years ago I met a friend who also happens to be my employer.  Her daughter and mine are the best of friends and they are just good people.  They are generous with their time, love and affection.  When I am with K and her family I feel like I have known them for twenty years, not just a few.  

A - My very first "mommy" friend is someone I met when Jared was just a year old.  Her oldest is the same age and we have been friends ever since.  Though time and distance  have kept us apart more than together, I love her like the sister I never had and am grateful for her warm and faithful heart. 

I also have friendships galore online.  I'm not talking about "yes, I'll be your Facebook friend" kind of friends... but friendships that started over a decade ago thanks to a web site called Babycenter.  We all had children at the same time and have talked and complained and celebrated and cried together over the past ten years.  These girls have been there for me through thick and thin, even though most of them I've never met in person.  We have now migrated over to a Facebook group, but our core friendship is still alive and well.  November 2011 Babycenter girls - you rock!

I may not surround myself with a lot of people, but the friends I choose to surround myself with fill up my life and my heart, and they mean the world to me.