Thankful

There's so much for which to say thank you this Thanksgiving season.  There are a few things that I have been appreciating more and more lately.  And by things, mostly I mean people.  I am so blessed with so many people in my life who love and care about me.  Some of them I know a lot; some I know only a little, but all are special to me.  These are some of the people (or rather groups of people) who make me so, so thankful this year.  

(Note:  the list that follows is not an exhaustive list by any stretch of imagination.  There are many more than could be named here!)

My family - this is often the standard answer to the "What are you thankful for?" question, but  they earn the standard response position for a reason.  Though they are miles and miles away (and it's during times like this that I wish Virginia and Florida weren't so far away from each other), my family is pretty much the best ever.  We Finches have some interesting quirks and oddities, but I wouldn't trade our crazy crew for another any day of the week.  Being a Finch is one of the highlights of my life!

My far away friends - in addition to my family being miles and miles away, I have several dear friends who don't live anywhere close to where I live.  They're all over - Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, North Dakota, Utah....you get the picture.  Even though we don't see each other ever day, week, month, or even sometimes year, each of my far away friends holds a special place in my heart.

My up close friends - some days I forget that not everyone is blessed with a group of people with whom to "do life."  One the days that I remember that, I am even more thankful for "The Group," those people who are in my house every week, who invite me to their house every week, who I see on the weekends (when I'm not out of town visiting a far away friend), who will catch a late movie with me, who will help us decorate for Christmas, who will watch football with me, who will make a Starbucks run with me. You know? Just doing life together.  That's what we do, and I dig it.  

My church family - I feel like I have a couple of these since I've moved from place to place and have had the opportunity to get involved in multiple great churches.  Either way, I love the people who worship with me on a weekly basis, and I'm learning to appreciate them more and more. 

So there are a few highlights from my "Thankful For" list.  What tops your list this year?