DAY SEVENTEEN

I am thankful for my friends.

I have some of the dearest friends, ever. I don't even know where to start here. So I will start at the beginning.

First, I am thankful for my childhood and high school friends.  My childhood friends and I have known eachother way too long...long enough to be brutally honest. Long enough to go weeks or months without talking, but pick it up right where we left off. Our entire families were at each other's weddings.  We saw eachother through breakups, rumors, and the toughness of adolescence. And we genuinely celebrated when the other one got married, because frankly, we were so happy to see the other one settled down with the perfect man for her.  I am thankful for the history and love I have in these friendships. They offer familiarity, comfort, acceptance, and joy.

 Then there are my college friends whom I hold so dear. Other than a few select childhood friends, this is where deeper, committed friendships started for me. There is such an easiness about these friendships. On the outside, we are an unlikely group. We had different majors, different upbringings, and very different personalities. But we love each other so much. I am so thankful for the late night chats at the Kappa House and for our commitment to reunite on a regular basis. These friends have offered more love an support than I could have ever asked for. Whether it be a quick trip to Tulsa to love on me after our miscarriages, or a long drive to come celebrate a marriage or baby shower; these gals have always been by my side. We have surrounded one another too many times to count and that is so precious to me.

And last but not least are my Tulsa friends. I am so thankful for the network of love and support we have here. These friendships have been so vital to our calling Tulsa "home". We are walking through life together and some of our best conversations are over coffee with 10+ kiddos hanging from the rafters. These friendships are easy too, I often feel as though I have known them forever and I cannot imagine life without them. . We can totally count on one another to watch our kids, bring us a meal when we are sick, or just offer an ear over a glass of wine. We pray together and we laugh together. It is such a cool combination.

Lord, thank you for my wonderful friends. You have truly blessed me with a family of friends to enjoy in life. Thank you for the love you have shown me through these friendships.