Tuesday, November 24, 2015

10 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 9

Today I am thankful for my amazing network of friends.

I feel so incredibly blessed to have such a large network of supportive friends. I've made friends from so many different phases of my life - college, past jobs, through blogging, through running, and the list goes on and on.

I have spent much of my life single but I think one of the blessings of being single is that I have developed very strong female friendships in my life.  That is not to say that those who marry young can't have strong female friendships; it's just different when you are going through life without a partner to rely on, as it forces you to rely on others in your life.  And I think that learning to rely on a network of people is a healthy lesson to learn in life. 

I am thankful for the friends that I've met organically through running, work, college, etc, but I'm especially thankful for the friendships that blogging has brought to my life.  Blogging has allowed me to connect with people who have similar interests, personality traits, and values.  Having a blog definitely makes a person feel more vulnerable, but I have found that the shared experience of being vulnerable seems to deepen the relationships that are formed.  

What are you thankful for today?

14 comments:

  1. I'm thankful for my friendships. For me I always knew I had amazing friends but it wasn't until someone was trying to keep me away and I was having to fight so hard for my time with my friends that I began to understand just how truly blessed that I am!

    I have met you and Jess and a handful of others and I am thankful for the blogging community. It's changed a lot over the past few years and I've followed and dropped so many blogs. I love how it's a way to stay connected and know what's going on in each others lives!

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  2. That's a great thought - that being single allows time and trigger for more female friendships. I was rather young when I got married (24), and it did seem like we had more couples friends after that.

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  3. Here, here to this post! You know how I feel about it :) Would be lost without this amazing community and the fantastic friends I've made through it, many of whom I'm much closer to than those I know in IRL.

    Today I'm thankful for the clothes on my back, the roof over my head and my transportation. I know how blessed I am to be able to provide for myself in this way, and it really is a blessing.

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  4. True friends are the best! You have been blessed!

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  5. I love this! A few of my favourite people IRL are folks I met through blogging. There's something really neat about getting to know a person through their writing and then getting to know them all over again face to face.

    Today I am grateful for my flexible schedule. I sometimes take for granted just how much easier being able to set my own work hours has made my life, but I know I would miss it a great deal if I had to go back to a more rigid 9-5.

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  6. I'm thankful for blogging as it lead me to your blog and becoming friends with you! I'm also thankful for a baby that naps and a warm bed to read in while it's snowing like crazy outside.

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  7. YES to this! I am so grateful for my friends, both the ones I've made IRL and the ones I've made through blogging. Blog friends sometimes know my life/story better than IRL friends as I have such a hard time opening up sometimes.

    Forming friendships has been a source of struggle for me, because I am incredibly shy and find it hard to make connections. But when I have made connections, it's been so worth it!

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  8. I love this post! And I love your days of gratitude! I second Nora's thoughts -- some are indeed closer than real life!

    I am thankful for my purring girl, to have the resources I need to live comfortably and the support network to provide love, care and fun. I'm thankful for this very life.

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  9. We recorded episode 6 and answered your question about vulnerability and IRL/URL friendships!

    So thankful to be following along on your life for years now and that you're my URL friend. Can't wait to turn it to IRL!

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  10. Such a good one! Give yourself credit here too - you are an AWESOME friend. So good about checking in and remembering tough things friends are going through and asking them how it is and making time for video chats and etc. It's not always easy to stay in touch in this day and age but I think we've done a pretty great job of it :) I am also very thankful for an amazing network of girlfriends who i can be frank, honest and totally myself with!

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  11. Being vulnerable is definitely something I struggle with. I don't like to allow for weaknesses to show. A character flaw for sure. I'm glad to have you in my life! I've been kinda having a dark month so I haven't been around as much. Hope you are well! <3

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  12. "And I think that learning to rely on a network of people is a healthy lesson to learn in life." - I think you might be right but it's something I do not do well so I am thankful for thought provoking blog posts and their bloggers.

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  13. This sentence really hits home for me: Having a blog definitely makes a person feel more vulnerable, but I have found that the shared experience of being vulnerable seems to deepen the relationships that are formed.

    I know that I am always a bit embarrassed when someone in my "real life" finds my blog, as it does kind of make me feel like I lost my suit of armor that I wear on normal days! Blogging definitely breaks down barriers faster than I would do in an in person friendship. It's fun (and dangerous!) to hide behind the shield of the computer; you feel like you can be pretty darn honest at times!

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  14. What a lovely post :-) I too am thankful for all the wonderful people in my life. Over the years, the number of people I call friends has probably decreased, but the value of those friendships has increased.

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