Thankful for friends

Erin, of Full House Full Hearts Full Hands, started blogging about what she is thankful for, in anticipation of Thanksgiving. I think this is a fabulous idea, and decided to do it myself.

Day 1 -- I'm thankful for my friends.
I am a very social person. I have lots of lots of acquaintances, lots and lots of friends, and am oh-so-lucky to even have more than a handful of people I consider really good friends/ homemade family. I am blessed to have sisters who are great friends. Sisters I would hand pick to be my sisters. I don't believe many people can say that. I have girlfriends I consider sisters because we are that close. I am so thankful for that. I have friends I have meant on this adoption journey that I feel so close to, even though we have never met in person (but we will -- just wait and see, we will!)

I am so thankful for my friends, because I wear my heart on my sleeve and have a rally of friends behind me to ride out every up, down, and zig-zag on this roller coaster ride. I could never be who I am, never be a mama-to-be, never be a successful wife or attorney, without the loving and supportive friends I have. My friends inspire me everyday.
I am a better person because of the friends I have.

Today, one of my dear friends, Sandi Brown, found out that her son passed court in ETH, and they would be able to go to ETH in just 3 weeks to bring him home. The Browns will be in ETH for Paul's first birthday. They will have him home for Christmas. When she called me, I felt as if my heart had wings and I was soaring in the sky. He is an unbelievably beautiful boy, and already looks like a Brown. Seriously, when you look into this child's face, you see Sandi, Bill and their girls. It's truly amazing.

Today, one of my dear friends, Amanda, found out that her son and daughter did not pass court in ETH. It was so simple and so very wrong. A name on the birth mother's birth certificate was misspelled. And the judge said, no-go and assigned a new court date in late Christmas. Amanda's children are 5 & 7. They know their mom and dad's faces. They ask other families at HOH about their mom and dad and want them to bring them home soon.
It's utterly unfair that Amanda's children won't be home for Christmas or New Years.
Amanda and her husband won't be able to travel until mid-late January. I know, when they have their gorgeous kids home, all this will seem like a dream, a dream they'll hardly remember. But today, their hearts are breaking. And my heart is breaking for them.

One day, when my child is old enough, I'll be able to explain friendship. I'll explain that friends are people we spend time with, people we enjoy being around, people we love. When you love a friend, you feel some of the emotions they feel. Sandi and Amanda have been so supportive of me and my highs and lows in this adoption journey. I hope I can be the kind of friend to them, that they have been to me. I want my child to grow and have friends like Sandi and Amanda.

Because this blog is private, I know each and every reader. I am proud to call you my dear friends, and feel so blessed to have each of you in my life. I am THANKFUL for YOU.