manna for me = community

Manna is a hell of a drug.
-Manchester Orchestra

I write enough about myself, so in honor of Speculation's first birthday, I though I would write about some of my very favorite people - friends and family members that have shaped this plant lady into who she is.

There are so many people that have stuck with me through thick and thin - best friends that have literally come into my closet (I used to hide in there when I was upset - maybe I still do, I just haven't been upset enough since March, I guess...) and sat in my laundry basket holding my hand and listening or pulled me out to make me go out to dinner with them. Others have walked some of northeast Georgia's long switchback trails with me, both figuratively and literally, helping me to navigate some tricky spots and always inviting me to share my heart by sharing hers. Women just a few years older than me have taken me under their wings, sharing their hearts and lives with me. They have offered advice that has led to some of the wisest decisions that I have ever made - and that I certainly would not and could not have made on my own.

My sisters have never failed to make me laugh, whether it was saying just the right thing at the right moment, helping me tear up old Valentines, taking me to the aquarium, or dragging me to Paris for a day. My baby brother has been a huge source of joy in my life. I'm thankful for three beautiful roommates with which to do life. They are some of the most excellent listeners I've ever met. My parents have driven hours, flown across the country, and rented a cargo van in an effort to help me make the best possible decisions regarding graduate school. My step-parents have been endlessly encouraging - guiding me through the process of escaping Italy in time for school the next day and constantly providing a slightly less biased opinion than their spouses are genetically capable of : that I am a clever young woman with a good heart. Half-a-dozen or so supportive grandparents continually teach me what unconditional love looks like.

Old friends and new, close family members and those far away, there are so may people that surround me - people to love and to be loved by. I am so thankful.

My aunt and uncle have opened their home to me on several occasions this fall, which has helped my observations at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta a much more pleasant experience. Last night we decorated ginger bread houses with the children. It was so good to just relax and be a part of their little family. I love spending time with them and have been doing this about once a month since August. I so admire my Aunt and Uncle. They are raising such healthy children (nutritionally, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and intellectually) and I hope to incorporate some of what I have learned from them into my own home one day. They are great parents and I can tell that they love each other like crazy. She respects him and he loves her. I watch them serve and submit to one another and it is so beautiful. He takes out the recycling for her and she makes chocolate-covered strawberries for him. I love sitting around and talking with them after the children go to sleep. These nights have been some of my favorites this year. So thank you, Newton family, for your love and gracious hospitality.