I was sitting at my desk numbly staring at my computer screen trying to break my way through the hump I was in when Wade came in and dumped the mail onto my desk.

Sticking out in the middle of the mundane pile of bills and catalogs was a small blue envelope addressed to me. My heart fluttered as it always does when something special comes in the mail. With the convenience of email, letters have become passe and it is rare that somebody reaches out to me by mail. I opened it immediately.

I read the words on the card and as my eyes filled with tears of wonder at how my friend Gretchen could capture me so completely a smile spread across my face and my storm began to pass.  The card was of a girl playing on her bicycle, sending her cares to the wind and it read, “I am fairly certain that given a Cape and a nice tiara, I could save the world.”

Friends are like that, surprising you when you least expect it, quoting something you said years ago that made them laugh or delivering to you a small silver platter with a sweet little silver salt shaker, hard boiled eggs and your favorite cherry tomatoes while on a river trip, as Gretchen did to me.   “These are for you, my little Princess”, she said handing me the platter, once again filling my heart with love and kindness.

I would be nothing without my friends who keep me grounded reminding me to look for the small ingredients in life to make my life richer.

Friendship had a different meaning before I had my family. My friends were my family and my expectations and demands were higher. But the friends that I had before I got married are all still with me and the beauty lies within the relationships that have formed between our children and our husbands.

Like a marriage, as our friendships mature we learn to accept and even appreciate our idiosyncratic ways instead of allowing them to drive us insane.  When I called my friend Suzanne to tell her that I might be just a little late to pick up her son she asked, “Is this going to be standard Jillian late or later?” The phrase, “To know me is to love me” never held so true.

As we get closer to the holidays my friends have been emerging from their busy schedules to shine their little lights on me and show me their love and I am filled with appreciation. They remind me that life is filled with treasures and all one has to do is slow down a little to find and appreciate them. I also am grateful for my online friends who pack a world of insight into every comment that they make on my posts.

And so I end this little love fest by thanking you, my friends, my family and my readers, for being you and for lifting me up to greater heights as I live my life. You fill me with warmth and happiness and I love you all.

Love you, see you, mean it!

MICHELE

MELANIE

GRETCHEN

STEPH

PATTY AND JEN

PAM

SHELLY

CATHY

and Tori, Liz and Mary, Suzanne, Karen, Jody, Marilyn, Birgit and Neil, Adair, Tucker, Peter, Karl, Poopsie, Lauren, Beth, Elizabeth, Dede, Stars, Kir, Lisa, Seana, Deborah and so many more. I wish I had photos of all of you to share.

Love you all!!!