I'm so very very blessed

I have been thinking lately how blessed I have been in my life even with struggles and adversity. I didn't ask to struggle and be bullied nor did I ask for my father to pass away when I was such a young age but I also have seen throughout the years where I have been also helped and guided along the way. Starting in the fourth grade when I had been so painfully bullied and picked on since Kindergarten all because I was so shy...a girl named Christina who would later become my advocate and dear friend saw something in me and became my friend my ONLY friend the last two years I was at Otis Orchards Elementary. We did class projects together and talked and swung on the monkey bars. She was there for me when I lost my dad the end of that school year and she was there when no one else was...that is love and devotion something that one doesn't expect when they think of a school aged friend. Then later on into Middle School the bullying continued you would think that they would have gotten sick of it by then but because of it I gained a few more friends who saw that despite the bullying I never retaliated I just tried to ignore it but they noticed pain in my eyes which told them what the bullies said that I was a snob was untrue. So they embraced me and put their arms around me and got me through the awkward teenage years...this is where I met my unrelated sister and some other dear dear friends who blessed my life tremendously and who helped buffet some of the taunting and bullying I got. Then later on in high school the worst but best happened to me. My freshman year was the worst ever...my life was changing and all that I had known was shaken up and along with it my best best friend and unrelated sister had to move. I HATED that I was going to be all alone again and the bullying STILL had not let up. Then I had to go to Boston the last week or so of school and I had a friend pick up my year book for me and along with that came a surprise that would bless me for the rest of my life...FRIENDS. She had a group of friends she had known from 17th ward the next ward over sign my yearbook and along with that I got to know them too. The other 3 years were to be the best years of my life...we danced together at dances, I had someone to hug New Years Eve thanks to all my guy friends in the group...I had laughter and joy..I had companionship and support as I grieved my father and most of all I had protection from the bullies. My friends NEVER let them get to me. I also met other wonderful friends as high school wound down and even into my adult life. Some of the friends later would betray me a bitter lesson I had to somehow learn but even now I have realized as Christina and many others are still in my life how very very blessed I have been. I was told I am blessed if in this Iife I have had even one true stalwart friend and I have several for which I am so very thankful. I have a husband who is in every sense of the word my best friend along with my whole army of other dear and true friends who have still stood beside me despite adult responsibilities and hectic schedules. I think I cherish them now that play time is over because now when time is so short and precious and has to be juggled with families and other things I appreciate what little time we get so much more than when we had spent every day together. I cherish how they saw the potential in me and waited patiently until I could see it for myself and I cherish how they have cheered me on as I have gone through my life and how they have helped pick me up and dusted me off when I have fallen down and they have run the race with me as far as they could and when I had to run the last leg on my own they were at the finish line waiting to cheer me on to the finish. Indeed I have been very very blessed and I am so very very grateful for all of them.