The trees come into slightly more focus
the flowers open their petals slightly more
to thirstily drink in the dew saturating the humid air
the wet driveway glints in the sun
and I smile, unknowingly,
with the tire tracks of my best friends still
fresh in the grass.
The world smiles back,
for once,
and I know joy.

Thank you, God, for answering pleading prayers for friendship and resolution. Within the past two weeks, I have felt an outpouring of love and heartfelt words of encouragement from friends who I haven't talked to in much too long, friends I don't know very well, and friends I didn't even know I had. I sat down and talked to my Mandy, or rather, hugged her leg close to my chest as we laughed, cried, and explained ourselves to each other. I love Mandy. I love her for forgiving me for the cruel things I said, for her incredibly resilient heart and mind, and for loving me for the dorky, clumsy, silly goon I am.

I love Hanson and Danny because even though I'm a backseat safety warning alert system for tight turns, they hang out with me anyway (and eat my food....hmmm.... :) ) and even WANT to hang out with me (or is it my mom's food....rarrr). And I love them, and Drewy, and Alex, and Mandy, and Megan, for putting up with me never calling, never writing, and falling off the planet. I love them for caring about me. I love them just cause they're great people. *Sigh*

I love my Biffy for so many reasons, including for talking at all hours of the day or night about everything from the meaning of life and God to farting and the art of doing so in public, and for trying to understand that not everyone can wake up on time. And of course, I also love my Smellsters and my Emily (who definitely needs a nickname to fit in with the other two in this list)

I love JLee for her kindness, her Jason Mraz CD, her words that were exactly what I needed to hear to feel better.

I love my family for loving me even when I shirk them to hang out with my friends.

I love green bean casserole. :)

I love honest people who have no qualms about speaking their piece, no matter how harsh it may be.

And finally, to end this slightly-belated list of things I'm thankful for, I love music that moves the soul. And new friends to listen to it with.

So, thank you everyone for making me feel infinitely better, about myself and my life, for putting up with me inspite of my faults, and for reminding me who I really am inside.