"Friends & Family"- a deep cliche

Today the kids at work and I were writing out at least one or two (or in one girl’s case, eleven) things we are thankful for. I wrote “Friends & Family” but then began to think of other things, because it seemed so cliché. It’s as if “family and friends” is always the cop out answer when it comes to listing things we’re thankful for, but I then I began to think to myself how true it really is. Let me give you examples.
(*Note- I cannot even begin to express how much these people mean to me or all the things I’m thankful to them for. I will leave huge things out, and I’ll most likely leave important people out too, so forgive me in advance):
-My parents: Where to even begin. All the time, money and love they’ve poured into me is incredible. A specific example is my education. They’ve spent extra money so I could attend a private Christian school my entire life, and this sacrifice has not been small. Additionally, my mom has carted me around to so many different endeavors when she could have been spending her time in other ways. My dad has supported me in all I’ve done whether he’s understood it or not. I could keep going, but you don’t have enough time to read it all.
-My grandparents: Again. Where to begin? Specifically: my music education. They’ve paid for almost every single piano lesson I’ve ever taken and have attended almost all of my concerts and recitals. My grandfather is always stressing the importance of education and has fostered my love of learning. My grandmother is always letting me know just how much she loves me.
-My grandmother: She doesn’t know how to show her love for me, so she displays her love financially and through gifts. Taking me to Olive Garden (because she knows it’s my favorite), buying me a new outfit, or giving me extra spending money is her way of telling me, “I love you.”
- Siblings: They’re crazy and have made life an adventure thus far. I might have wanted to kill them when they were younger, but I think I’ll keep them around now. :) Whitney’s crazy but serious nature always makes life exciting and fun. I’m so thankful that she stands up for what she believes is right. Garrett’s calls just to see how life’s going and the way he tries to act indifferent to Whitney and I is hilarious. I’m also so thankful that he’s learning the importance of discipline and pushing himself to greatness.
-Sarah: This is another one that could go on for awhile. She’s one of my main sounding boards. I don’t know how she does it, but she’ll listen (even if I’m being totally unreasonable!)and almost always provide good feedback. :) And she lives with me (and puts up with all of my schizophrenic sides). That’s plenty of reasons to be thankful for her alone.
-Kate: Again. The list could get a lil’ lengthy. She’s another one of my sounding boards, but I’ll provide a different reason too. She patiently pushes me to face and overcome my fears. Scared of icy, snowy roads? No problem. Just jump in behind the wheel. Afraid to go skiing again? No worries. I’ll push you down the mountain. Having a hard time trusting? That’s ok. I’ll wait. Don’t want to walk any further in the scary dark tunnel of death? Ok. We’ll turn around.
-Janis: She brings me back to the moment. The way she can just let life pause as she sits on any one of the various greens or outdoor tables helps me realize that I need to stop and enjoy the moment God has given to me. Homework is non-existent, decisions don’t need to be made, and problems disappear when you’re sitting with Janis. (Kinda like being on a jolly holiday with Mary Poppins.) Oh wait! One more: she’ll question how my relationship with God’s going, and it blows me out of the water every time.
-Marney: Her quiet and vivacious strength. She appears quiet, but she’s lively and lives passionately. Her random questions that challenge me to think about important things I wouldn’t think about otherwise are evidence enough. She always brings such wisdom to conversations while bringing some killer chocolate chip cookies at the same time.
-Mesko: She always seems to bring our conversations back to God. I’m incredibly thankful for that, because he is (or at least should be) the cornerstone of everything I do, and my speech should be reflective of that as well. I always feel refreshed and nourished after our talks, because their fun and serious and revolve around our creator. (I’m also thankful for her, because she keeps trying to marry me off!)
-Danielle: She teaches me about selflessness. I’m not saying she’s perfect, but at times it seems as if she is. Whenever we talk, she wants to know every single thing going on in my life, how I feel about that, and how she can pray for me. No matter how many times I try to shift the conversation to her, she manages to shift it back to how I’m doing.

As you can see God’s placed some pretty incredible people in my life. I guess “Friends & Family” isn’t so cliché. It's something much deeper than I often realize. I really am truly grateful for the ones that God has given to me, and I hope that I will always be thankful for them and not take them for granted.