Fill in the Blank

*a fun fact before I start..if you type in the first letter it gives you old titles of your blogs. i was tempted to name this farewell cookies, but I didn't.

These girls are some of my favorite people in the world. The boys, not pictured, round out a good amount of that group as well. I had a marvelous thanksgiving because I got to hang out with the people that supported me and loved me well when I lived in Virginia. Moving away from Cincinnati and getting my first "adult" job was a huge move for me. (They can all account for this because I had numerous nights where I cried for no apparent reason.) Yet despite it all, living far away from home, cleaning toilets for a living, having the cat I actually liked shipped to Kentucky while satan lived on until the day I left, these people loved me. They fought for my best interest, they invested in my well being, they stopped talking so I could start the show over again.

I knew I hadn't written in awhile so thought I would see what was going on here at blogger. I was reading Kari and Matt's blogs, hoping to hear wonderful things about the city I love. (the majority of the gang was up here over thanksgiving) Listening to them talk about the time and the people prompted me to contribute from my angle. They all spent the weekend together in my hometown. I am here all the time though and got to encounter our fellowship on my turf. Let me just say, it's just as wonderful here as it is all those miles away in the blue ridge mountains. I miss what I had. I was talking to Leah this week and mentioned that I hadn't really felt the loss of those loves until this past weekend. Sure, I knew I missed house dinners, writing things that brought me joy like red leotards, and sitting on the kitchen island pouring out my heart to my roommates, but I hadn't really felt that aching loss until now.

I think the joy comes in knowing that while they live far away, they will never change. (at least not in a bad way) They will love me well despite the distance. They will write snarky comments on my wall, they will leave me songs on my birthday, and they will visit me. If anything, the distance has allowed me to see just how well they love me. And I now truly see how much I love them.