I need to take a moment and express my gratitude for friends.

Recently I have been staying at the home of a couple I met only two months ago.  They have taken me under their wing and given me the priceless gift of their friendship.  And two days ago when I felt unsafe sleeping in my home, they kindly welcomed me into theirs.

My friend, Gary, a retired minister, also opened his door to me without hesitation when I showed up with a bag and a bathrobe a few nights ago.  He offered me drink, popcorn, bath, and bed.  I slept like a baby.

My new friend, Neala, is taking a huge leap and moving 2000 miles away to live in the town where I live where she will share a home with me – a woman she has only spoken to on the phone and through emails.  We barely know each other but we both feel a very real sense of friendship, trust, and a feeling that we are on this grand adventure for a reason.

A little over two months ago when I moved to this little Colorado town, the only person I knew was a woman named Cindy.  She was a friend of a friend and that was good enough for me.  I moved into her home to help in the care of her aunt.  And Cindy took me under her kind wing and helped nurture me through the transition of a move that was huge in so very many ways.  She understood when I was exhausted.  She understood when my body was out of whack.  And she helped me out when my job fell through. I am so grateful to her.

Before I left to move here, people supported me by buying my art, giving me gifts, and sending me wonderfully supportive and encouraging messages.  And on the way out here, driving alone across many miles and many states, friends gave me a place to stay, fed me, and even dug my car out from the blizzard that socked in Kansas City.

Last year dear friends gave me a place to stay when I needed a quiet place to heal.  They opened their home and their hearts and I will never be able to repay their kindness.

When I go back to Pennsylvania for a visit in a few weeks, I know I have several friends who will gladly welcome me to stay in their homes for as long as I want, and other friends who will likely offer me rides or lend me a car.  I know friends will hug me, share meals with me, and listen to my stories.  I can’t wait to see my friends.

Most days I log into Facebook and make beautiful connections with scores of friends.  Some I have known for most of my life, some I have known for only a relatively short time, and others are friends of friends  or people who feel like potential friends.  I treasure each one.

Friends are a blessing that cannot be overrated.  Real friends come through when you need them.  Real friends love you even when you’re grouchy or tired or broke.  Real friends are worth their weight in gold.

I love my friends.  When it comes to friends, I am a wealthy, wealthy, wealthy woman.