With a Little Help From My Friends

By my calculations I am long overdue for a sappy, emotional post. This is it.

Last night I got exactly what I wanted for my birthday– we went out for dinner with friends, many of the people who have made the past year of my life so wonderful. Some have been in my life for years, others are relatively new friends, but all are indescribably special to me. I wish I could tell you about all of them, and when I originally started writing this post I tried to do just that-- and I quickly realized that the post would end up being mind-numbingly long. So in lieu of giving you history and details of all these amazing people, I am going to tell you why they mean so much to me.

My life is intricately woven together with the lives of my longtime friends-- Megan, Patton, Amie, and of course Clark; they have each faced good times and bad times with me, and I have done the same for them. I know I can go to them for anything and I know that they love me. I wouldn't be the person I am today if not for each of these very special individuals. Amie has also brought a couple of other wonderful people into my life-- her husband Jeff and their friend Zhanna. They are always fun to spend time with and I'm sure I will get to know them both much better as the years go on.

In the past year or so I have made many new friends who also have a special place in my heart. When Clark and I started going to LifePoint last February we had no idea that a year later so many unique and amazing individuals would be such a huge part of our lives. James, Angela, Kevin, Jessa, Jason, and Diette have touched my life in many ways. We encourage each other, laugh with each other, and are working together to make a difference in our community. I can also say that I wouldn't be the person I am today if not for them.

Of course there were other friends who are special to me who could not be there last night for various reasons-- Amanda, who I've been friends with since middle school; Ashley, a very compassionate and gentle person who I've gotten to know much better over the past couple of years; and Brandon, who is my go-to person for a discussion about faith and spirituality.

To all of the individuals mentioned in this post-- you guys have each touched my life in so many ways. I often think of each of you and how much you mean to me, and I love you all very, very much.