Friday, August 24, 2007

August 24, 2007 - We Pick You

Tonight Melisa and I spent the evening with some close friends. We had dinner together, which consisted of some Grandma's Kickin' Chicken (What's Up?), beans, and salad. It was delicious. Personally, I chased that down with some caffeine-free Coke. Yeah. That's how I roll. (Obviously I have a very discerning palate.) Desert was amazing. Carrot cake straight out of a magazine, and chocolate chip cookies that should have been all mine. But I shared them anyway.

I was reminded of how blessed we are. Between our caring family and devoted friends, we have an incredible support system. I've noticed that people who care about us won't take our crap and they frequently know what we need better than we do. I learned a great lesson tonight. If you want to stay comfortable and happy, make less friends. But if you want to be uncomfortable, stretched, and pushed to your full potential, surround yourself with friends. Real friends. The kind who aren't afraid of you. The kind who know you and love you anyway. The kind who will tell you to quit being a baby, put your pride aside and let them help you when you need it. Ouch, that hurts. (In a good way.)

We've been overwhelmed by your concern and compassion. We get at least one call or email a day from someone who is just checking in on us. Family. Friends. Acquaintances. Strangers. Ok, maybe that guy wasn't waving at me. The hug did feel a little awkward. But you've been amazing.
You've offered meals. You've offered childcare. You've offered financial support, tech support and emotional support. No strings attached. Just a full-on outpouring of you.

My pride's aside, and we need it. So, to all our family and friends: Thank you! If we had to pick, we'd pick you.

2 comments:

Kem said...

No, we pick YOU.

Arin said...

We agree with Kem. If we could rewind 6 years....we'd pick you all over again.