Friends

In addition to seeing my family again, Christmas this year meant a lot to me because I spent it with friends. Friendships are such a vital part of my life. And God has really blessed me with great ones. My thankfulness for my friendships dwarfs a lot of the other things that I am appreciative of.

The day after Christmas, Brian and I planned a small get-together to catch up with some friends. A huge chunk of our friends were out of town visiting family, but we had a nice group of about 25 people. It was sooo great to see all their faces again. I saw them all in October at the wedding, but it was nice to be around them all again.

My friend Cheryllyne came later on in the evening, and when I opened the door and saw her there, we both hugged each other for the longest time and balled our eyes out. Cher is one of my best friends in the whole world. I didn't realize how much I missed her until I saw her standing there at the door.

The people that came have been our friends from all over - some from the high desert, some from Pasadena, one from back in my college days, and we have different stories with each of them. Some are married now, some are recently single now, and some don't have a clue what they are now. I love them all. We have such a diverse group of friends - so many different backgrounds and cultures. I am pretty blown away by the significance of having friends. Friends make life so much richer.