Thankful Thursday

“Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a good fire?”  -- C.S. Lewis

Tonight I am sitting here, filled with so much gratitude that I literally could bust at the seams.

I have been so blessed in this life with such amazing and faithful friends.  

Friends who have seen me at my worst and still loved me in spite of myself.  Friends who, no matter what, have come and helped me when I have needed them.  Friends who I couldn't imagine living this life without.  Honest, compassionate, loving, and generous friends.

I'd love to tell you about what a great friend I've been to them, too.
But I can't do that.  

Over the years, I've been hateful, self-centered, and just plain rude to each of them at one time or another.  I've  been so miserable inside of myself that I've taken it out on them.

For what?

What did I gain from those actions?
Nothing.

What did I change?
Nothing.

What in the world was I thinking?
Nothing.

Today my friend Edith and I spent almost three hours chatting while our kiddos played at CEC.  It's our little get-away, our chance to catch up and reconnect and we try to do it whenever school is out, such as Christmas vacation or Spring Break.  I treasure her and her friendship more than she probably knows.  I've not done a good job telling her what she means to me, but it's something I am working on.  I want her to know without a doubt that they she holds an important spot in my heart.

Later tonight, my friend Loretta and I went to see the new movie, New Year's Eve.  She and I have seen many movies together over the course of our friendship and I realized tonight that I have neglected our friendship lately.  She has always been so kind to me and has never judged me no matter what I have said or done to her and for that I am so grateful.  We made a pact tonight to see more movies together in 2012. Kind of a new year's resolution for our friendship, you could say. I'm looking forward to us reconnecting through movies and dinners over the next several weeks/months.

So, tonight, on this Thankful Thursday, I am grateful for my friends... the ones I was blessed to spend time with today and those who were with me in my heart.

I'm so blessed and it's about time I give thanks for the blessings which I have been given.

What are YOU thankful for this last Thursday of 2011?