Joy

I am blessed. I have always known that. I was raised in a full house where there was lots of noise and often spills at dinner time but always love. I was given the gift of grandparents and aunts and uncles and now nieces and one wonderful nephew. One of my greatest blessings is my friends. Near friends, far friends, talk to you every day friends, facebook friends, old friends, new friends... all sorts of friends. And I try to be grateful for them. I try to thank them. I try to make sure they know I smile and laugh because of them. I want them to know that I am better and stronger and happier because they are part of my life. 

This week I received wonderful news about my health. News I was not at all anticipating. I was braced for the total opposite of what I heard. And I was truly dumbstruck when I realized that what I was being told was practically miraculous. That what I was being told was better than any gift. And sitting next to me was a friend. A "haven't known her all that long but certainly a best" friend. To know either of us cursorily our differences may seem more profound than our similarities. She has more children than I. She is married and I am not. She makes dinner (almost) every night. Her artistic talent  is tangible and mine is not.  We have different strengths. I often talk a hole in people's head; she is more subtle. But look more closely and you will see that which we share. You will see that which pulls us closer. We are both strong. We both love our children fiercely and derive our greatest joy from them. We both can laugh (and laugh and laugh) at ourselves. We both have a quick wit. We are both bright women. We feel things deeply even if we feel them differently. And we share a faith that manifests quite differently but has helped us become even closer. 

Those were the reasons she joined me when I anticipated hearing something scary. And I believe the reasons we have become friends are part of the reason I received good news. Because she helped me feel as strong as I can be. And she helped me believe in something I couldn't see.