horseshoes in the street

Yesterday was the annual Christmas gathering of the girls with whom I've been friends the longest. How amazing, how refreshing, to get together over chicken pad thai and Christmas cupcakes (and the Dashwood sisters of Sense and Sensibility) and laugh.
And laugh. And laugh...

I won't pretend that Christmas was the easiest this year, or that I didn't have my moments of grief and regret...but I can say that the company of good friends has been and will continue to be a source of joy and strength. It's easy to forget how many memories we've shared: last night, watching a candid video taken last year, I realized just how many of those moments we've had over the years. Unforgettable, genuine moments that serve as the best reminder of how incredible true friendship really is...from horseshoes in the street to clutch purses and brick fireplaces and noses on faces and so many other inside jokes that there are too many even to recall.

This year has been about friendship. I am lucky to have such incredible people around me...and while perhaps that list of people is not endlessly long, the relationships I have cultivated have grown increasingly deep and meaningful. What a blessing it is to have people who know me inside and out, who laugh with me and cry with me, who mourn the loss of what was before and hope with me for whatever may come next.

Thank you.

Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Lean on Me,
Bill Withers