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If you can’t say it at Christmas...

...then when can you, eh?

A friend of mine and I recently were saying our goodbyes—a temporary break before the holiday rush of traveling and commitments. Before we parted ways, this old friend of many years said,

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to write this on a card, but I want you to know I couldn’t have made it through this past year without you.”

It was possibly the best gift I could have imagined—the gift of honest, sincere, appreciation of friendship. This really made me think hard about my own gifts—given and received, over this year and all the years before. And I’ve reached a single conclusion about my life: I’ve been really, really, lucky, more than any person could hope for. Because I’ve had more than what the Beatles got—I get by with a LOT of help from my friends.

Friends who drop into your life out of nowhere, just to say hello and check in, maybe have a cup of coffee. And sometimes they make you take a break for coffee even when you think you don’t need one.

Friends who take over on something when you just can’t any more.

Friends who assure you all teenagers are like that—you’re a great mom, you’re not doing anything wrong. And even if you are, that’s what therapy is for.

Friends who tell you when you’re not seeing the whole picture, and help fill in the rest for you.

Friends who eat the cookies you gave them—even the burnt ones, that they claim are delicious.

Friends who can just make you laugh, and laugh, and laugh so hard, that you imagine growing old with them would just be a riot, pills and aches and all.

Friends who understand sometimes you need to be sad, and grieve, and complain, but always make you feel like you never have to go through it alone.

I’ve so grateful to have friends who have given me these gifts, among countless others. You make me want to be a better person.

So it’s true, George Bailey, no one is failure who has friends. Thank you for your friendship, it means more to me than I can ever thank you for.

Merry Christmas, and hope to see you in the new year.

XOXO

Min

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