Love is a Circle of People

Last night we sat out on the covered deck on the back of our apartment eating dinner.  It was a pleasantly cool evening that was doing much to soothe my frazzled nerves after a hectic day.  I looked at my boyfriend and said, "Thank you for making dinner!"  He responded, "All I did was heat up the meat you already cooked.  You did the rest."  I told him that gratitude is the root of happiness. It is so much harder to be unhappy about what you don't have when you fill your thoughts with what you do have. The trick is that you can't just have gratitude when life is great and things are running smoothly.  You need gratitude the most when it feels like you are hanging on by a single, fraying thread. Boy do I need gratitude today.

It's a well known fact that people, as a group, suck, but that individuals can be capable of great love and kindness.  If you put enough individual specimens of awesome together it makes up for a lot of "World Suck" (to steal a phrase from John Green).  If you'll permit me, I'd like to recognize the people who over the last few weeks have selflessly given to decrease the World Suck in my localized area:

• My boyfriend, Sean, who is a singularly amazing person.  It would take all evening to list all of the things he has done for me in the last few weeks and it would be a drop in the bucket to all the things he's done for me since we first met.
• Heather, who unreservedly has volunteered (whether I like it or not, as she says) to be my knight in shining armor.  I've learned so much from you in such a short time, and not just about how to cope with cancer.
• My big sister, Niki.  She has always been my hero.  She's everything I could ever want in a sister: Brave, kind, loving, and willing to defend me to the death.  She has spent my whole life protecting me, even at times when I didn't know it.
• Lacresha, who loves me enough to listen to my incessant whining and then agree with me that "those people suck". I miss you!
• My friends Bonnie and Crystal.  These are two people who never hesitate to give. They don't even bother to ask if you need help, they just show up and start helping.  
• My friends and family everywhere in the world.  It may not seem like enough to you, but your words and prayers lift my spirits and give me hope.
• Dheeraj, who is just one of those people with a great big heart who also has a smile, kind words, and candy! 
• Lastly, to a very special group of people composed of the wisest, kindest, most thoughtful, endlessly loving, and infinitely patient people, my Ravelry family.  You are my tribe.  You always make me feel like I matter and that what I have to say deserves to be heard.
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I think of all of you as the circle of people who stand between me and the dark, scary, bad things and mean people.  My friend Josh said I made him feel bad for complaining about his problems, but suffering is not objective.  Life is so hard, for all of us not just me, and we need each other.  The great thing about love is that you can't use it up: The more you give it there more there is of it.  Love you guys!