B is for : Best Friend-

I believe that your life isn't complete until you have a best friend in it. Today, I am thankful for mine. We were close friends in high school, but after I graduated and got married, we didn't really talk anymore. About 11 years went by. In those 11 years, we would have small talk here and there on Facebook but that was about it. Last Spring, I purchased a membership to Planet Fitness. As you know, it is never that fun to work out by yourself. So, I knew she had a membership so I facebooked her and asked if she wanted to meet me there to workout. We met there and it was awkward. We hadn't seen each other in such a long time. We didn't really know who each other was anymore. We left the gym, went our separate ways, and I thought to myself..."Well that was nice, but I doubt if this friendship thing will bloom again." A little bit later we went to the gym again and then spent about 2 hours at Steak 'N' Shake. We talked, laughed, and caught each other up on our lives.

As I think back on the past year (almost), I think about all the fun things we have done. Gym workouts, vacation to Virginia, pool times, drive in movies, State Fair, Indians Game, comedy shows, church, and the list goes on and on. She has become part of our family almost. She loves and cares about my kids and my kids love her. We have plenty of times that we are silly and goofy doing fun things, but another part of the friendship that I am thankful for is that we can have serious conversations too. We have had many deep conversations about our beliefs, God, and life in general. She has seen me cry ugly tears, she has seen my mood swings, she was there for me when I said goodbye to my dreams and had a hysterectomy, she has seen me embarrass myself, she has seen me embarrass her, she has watched me search, she has seen me disappointed, she has seen me angry. She has seen me in my valleys and she has seen me on my mountaintops. She prays for me, she cares about me, and she is there for me no matter what. We fight and there are times that we drive each other crazy. But, it all comes out in the wash. If you don't have a friend like this...go find one!

Thanks Alyssa for the fun, laughter, lessons, and memories! So thankful for you and what our friendship means to me!

"A good friend knows all your best stories but a best friend has lived them with you."