A Christmas Thank You to My Friends and Family

The biggest gift that God can give us is the companionship of loyal friends and a loving family. I have been blessed with both. This last year has been an excruciating one. It has been fraught with confusion and exhaustion, and yet when I open my emails each day I find the support that is necessary to make it another 24 hours. I am the luckiest woman in the world.

I want to thank each person individually but I fear that I would omit one. Every one of you, from the friends that I have made online and those from my career as a stockbroker to old friends from years past have made a remarkable difference in my day that they couldn't possibly understand. I want to thank you publicly for that difference.

I am one of those lucky people that count their family as friends. We are an odd lot of semi-broken souls that somehow always find humor in the worst of situations. Sometimes the jokes are dark, but always incredibly funny. I am so lucky to have my sisters Kathy and Nan, and their zany families as part of my life. We are not a remarkable lot, but we have all survived despite our frailties. I could never choose better people to associate with, so life has been made easy for me to find them all at family get-togethers.

I thank God that he gave me a wonderful daughter that taught me how to be a mother. Being a mother was scary and sprinkled with loud voices occasionally, but always, under all the crap that we sling on a day-to-day basis, there was a strong current of love that nothing could change. Jenn has brought interesting people and ideas into my life and allowed me to see the world through a wider view.

I feel honored that another Jen (with one "n", thank you.) has chosen me as a surrogate mother and joined in the family circle. You are another bright light in my life that laughs at even my most stupid jokes. I don't think anyone can understand how important that is to me.

My buddy, Mike, love of my life, you are indeed faithful. I had always quietly questioned your motives in everything that you did until one day I realized; I'm the devious one of the two of us, not you. I do thank God that he gave me an uncomplicated man that sees a lot more than he says and understands far more than he professes. You have been my emotional support and though I am not good at accepting help, you have made it easy.

Thank you also to the people that I speak with every day, the little gal at Subway that requested articles on inexpensive gifts, the people at the gas station that are always cheerful and pleasant, the gals at the credit union that have almost become my social outlet, and those of you that may not know who I am but have been waited on me or helped me, you have brought joy to my everyday existence.

Thank you, those that read my articles, for taking a few minutes from your busy schedule. Without you, the reader, there is no writer.