Gratitude Friday...

Here we are. Snow day number three.

Technically, the office is not closed but the snow outside my window coupled with the fact that it took me almost two hours to get home on the ice covered roads last night means I am staying in.

It's costing me a vacation day but oh well. What am I saving them for? Seriously.

So, that means I will be going in on Monday. There are some projects I need to finish. I'm not a fan of leaving stuff undone. You know the whole burning of bridges thing. One day I might want to work again. Best to leave my options open.

Alright, I feel certain ya'll are expecting some deep poetic retrospective of my time as a corporate worker bee.

Sorry to disappoint.

Instead I need to go back to this past Sunday. Our infertility support group is in motion. We gave ourselves two months to have the first meeting. And after some discussion about the location, both my new friend and I agreed neither of our homes would do. We are both blessed with little miracles and asking those who are still waiting to come sit in rooms filled with pictures of chubby, smiling baby seemed more than a bit insensitive.

One day I'll tell ya'll the story about our first IVF retrieval. Complete with an adorable three year old little boy in the waiting room. Ugly crying.

When I met our staff leader, Kurt, for the first time Sunday afternoon we decided to start by sharing our stories. I've gotten mine down to an art form. Short and sweet. Started trying and three years later, Aubrey Kate.

So much left out there but you just never know how much detail to include.

Kurt was a little more detailed. They had what I can only imagine to be a nightmare. Reoccurring miscarriage.

Oh the heartache.

As Kurt went on telling me their story, he said that time in their life was such a dark, lonely period for his wife. They were the couple people whispered about. The elephant in the room none of their friends or family would touch.

More heartache.

As I drove home that afternoon, I thought about how I view our journey. I know I wouldn't trade it for any thing. Not one single thing.

But I also know that while I may have felt lonely and the journey dark in the very beginning, it became the exact opposite. So much so that I can now say our journey was a bright spot in my life.

Without it, I would not have met women I consider like family. Tabitha, Kelli, Sarah, AE, Stephanie, Lauren...along with so many other women who's stories became my life-line.

There are lots of other reasons I cherish our journey but their friendship is at the top of my list. If I had the money, I would fly us all to a fabulous vacation resort for a weekend of friendship, fun and fruity drinks with umbrellas.

Ladies, I truly love each of you and your precious, chubby-cheeked miracles. You are a blessing in my life. You made our journey beautiful. You are each an amazing gift from God.

I am eternally grateful for your friendship.