Hallelujah

Cause the best holiday ever is coming up I decided to do my I'm thankful post. A couple of months ago when I was training for my marathon I lost a dear friend to suicide. When his mother shared his farewell note there was a line that struck out to me the most.

I wish I knew that I mattered.

I so wanted to yell to them but you do matter! You matter to me. So I wrote 26 letters to people who in the last two years who made a big difference in my life and had helped me accomplish that huge goal I had set for myself. Yet as I look back there are so many more people who matter to me. Who by their existence and personal light push me forward.

Tonight's lucky guest is somebody who I've known mine entire life.

So for April.

There are people who are meant to be mothers. They just have that natural ability to care for others and nurture people to do their very best in life. They seem to make friends with anyone no matter what social, economic, or life class they belong to. April is one of these people. The last few years have given April amazing blessings but with those blessings have all come with huge personal cost. Yet instead of dwelling on the hardship of her life she merely focuses her life on to the goodness of her husband and children.

April was the one who inspired me years ago to start this blog. I had seen her weight loss and how she had blogged about how hard it was but also how she was able to do it! I believe that April's greatest gift is that she gives hope to people. She gives hope to her children that life is worth living and exploring. She gives hope to her husbands business by supporting him. She gives hopes to all mothers who have lost a baby cause she has seen and felt that awful situation for herself. She inspires her sisters and brothers to live life and hope for the best cause she is the oldest and leads with such a fierce determination. Unlike most oldest children she is not a princess.

I'm grateful for April cause she always reads my blog, and has such a happy and warm personality whenever I see her. I'm lucky to know her.

So I give her this gift knowing that she matters to me. She has made a difference in my life and I hope that her life continues to be as amazing as wonderful as she makes it.

To quote that immortal Golden Girls theme

"Thank you for being a friend".