JFF: What's One Relationship You're Thankful For?

I'm really thankful for the girl in the front office of my son's school, I swear there's no way she's just a receptionist or administrative person, she's got something else special to her. I'm horrible with recalling her name. No, she doesn't have a nameplate on her desk nor does she wear a badge but the point is I'm just beyond thankful for her. My son is special needs and usually takes the school bus to and from school so whenever I take him or pick him up meltdowns ensue. Unfortunately there's no way around it. Almost every time I pull into the parking lot to either drop off or pick up I'll hear someone radio we've arrived and we'll be met by a staff member quickly. She's been an integral part of my son's team and since day 1 of stepping on campus she's known exactly who I am, not by name either by rather I'm "x's mom." I'm beyond thankful for her. I realize this may not be a deeply personal relationship but truthfully this is still a very important relationship for us.

I'm thankful that after decades of self-abnegation, I learned to love myself before trying to love anyone else.

My mother.
Approaching 80 and still setting the world on fire.
She's supportive, encouraging and damn funny!

Well, since this is JFF, I could say that I'm most grateful for the relationship with the manager of the local wine store!

The "proper" answer is the one with my husband. But I also have a strong connection to my college roommate - we may go long periods of time without talking or seeing each other, but when we connect, it's immediate. She knew me "when" and we've come into our own together. I don't know what I would do without her, and I know she feels that way about me.

My best friend. We barely talk or get together since we're on opposite coasts now, but we've been soul mates for over 20 years. I just texted her a cryptic coded message about a deperessing subtitled show on Netflix she should watch with all our favorite traits last night after weeks of no contact. She texted back right away a couple words that she would check it out. Tiny messages with her are loaded with memories of our history..in this case of loving depressing european films which we used to go see in NY before eating Thai food...

Also my gay best friend of 20 years who I talk to almost daily. He's also like a sister to me. I can tell him anything no matter how private or dastardly and he'll have me cracking up.

My sister. We didn't always get along. We fought terribly as kids/teens and then had a falling out so we missed each other's weddings. We patched up before our kids were born and we are each other's biggest supporters now. I am grateful for what I have and so very glad we didn't let any more time go by without fixing our relationship. She's become an amazing woman and I admire all she's accomplished.

Aside from all of the typical family and best friend answers (because I truly have many of those I am thankful for), I am thankful for the barista in my office building. I just started a new job at a huge office building and parking is a beast, so I come in between 530-545. My sister just started here too and she comes in at 730...we head to the cafeteria for our coffee. Rose, is her name, knows my order and my sisters and preps them while she sees us standing in line. On top of that, she's just a genuinely nice and kind person - so I'm thankful for her!

I'm lucky to have more than one!
My best friend, we met at 14 and we're still soulmates at 47, stronger than ever.
My son. He's 22 and we have so much in common, he's my prince, no doubt about it. I absolutely adore his girlfriend and wouldn't even mind if he married her at such a young age :-)
My youngest daughter. We've had some bumps along the way but she is my baby, and she loves me unconditionally. I wish I could say this about my older daughter, my middle child, but she's a much tougher nut, a lot like my soon to be ex husband.
There's also my youngest sister, and my only (but wonderful!) cousin, and my other BFF, the lovely "never-married-never-had-a-kid" groovy black woman, my many, many friends from book club and within my community, my amazing SIL, my gay "boyfriends" and of course my Facebook friends (some from this site!) I am so, so blessed!!!

i have 2. my mom is 1. without hre i would be nothing!
and the other one is my mother in law. shes awesome! she rearranged her work schedule so she could watch my kids every monday while i grocery shop and have lunch with a friend. she is also a nurse and knows all kinds of health resources that offer things like free skin cancer checks, and when i was lacking health insurance she showed me where the free health clinic was that i could go to a dr and only owe a donation if i could afford it, she is the best mil around! more like a friend than a mother inlaw.

Kind of a toss up between my husband and son.
They are both wonderful!

My best friend whom I've only known for the last year or so. We met at our church and we are like long lost sisters. She's 10 years older than me but we just 'get' each other. I see her a few times a week since we are both home and it's always a great time. We would do anything for each other. We also get together as couples and my husband is friends with her husband. I'm an only child and although I have had "best friends" in my life, she truly is a blessing to me and I love her dearly.

My daughter.

Since she moved out to her condo about 20 minutes away, 2 years ago, she's still here every Sunday for dinner and Our TV Show.

We enjoy lunch at least once a week and she includes me with lunch with her friends, work outs, mani/pedis and shopping.

She's 20, too soon to be 21 in Dec, we have a great bond that I treasure.

We just lost our beloved Cocker way too early ( 10 yrs old) unexpectedly this past week. She dropped her plans to come home because she knew how heartbroken we still are and she has put us first this past week. I love and appreciate her to pieces!!!

On a lighter note.... I also appreciate my wine man at Total Wine who always steers me in the right direction for my favorites!!!

I do have a BFF of 20+ years btw!!! We lunch often and catch up. She hosts an exchange student each year abd I learn so much from her!!! We're best friends!

Hi KM,

all my life i prayed to be surrounded by handsome, smart, funny men and, while at the time it's not what i envisioned, God answered my prayer and gave me the one i married and the one i made. i am most grateful for them both.

i envy the bond you have with your brother. i barely have any relationship with mine, he is my only sibling. time and issues too lengthy and painful to articulate in this post preclude further explanation. I doubt we'll have much of any sort of relationship once my mother passes away and the estate is settled.

i am so happy for you that you have such a wonderful resource in your life and that it is mutual and that you can share him with your family. keep cultivating and enjoying it. you are truly blessed.

i'm so glad you've got that with a sibling!
i've always been close to all my brothers. that changed in the last couple of years. it's sad, but i guess it happens. i'll always love them all, but i'm becoming okay with the fact that the closeness may not come back, certainly not with all of them.
i guess i'll be boring and go with my dh. he's smart, he's a hard worker (i'm always appalled at how many gals here have lazy men, i suppose i'm spoiled?), he's a steady-eddie to my mercurial whims, we share enough interests that we have awesome adventures together, but enough differences so we're not glued to each other, and he just keeps getting better looking.
we DON'T share 'everything' with each other. some of my weirder interests don't ring his chimes. but i've got girlfriends and others for that stuff. he doesn't have to be All Things to me.
but i'm also phenomenally grateful for my kids. they're really just amazing. i feel insanely blessed whenever they're around, and love that in this modern world they're never really further than a text or FB message away. and that they still love to come back to the farm and visit.
khairete
S.

I'm most thankful for the relationship I have with my MIL. It's not my closest or easiest relationship. In fact, we got off very much on the wrong foot when we first met and had many misunderstandings over subsequent years because we have very different ideas of family boundaries. But I'm very thankful that we've gotten to a place where we can be comfortable together, laugh together, and sincerely say "I love you" at the end of visits.

I love my hardworking husband, and am thankful for him.
BUT.....Isn't that just a given?!
Apart from him, I am thankful for the relationship that my eldest son (13) has with my daughter (4).
She was really hard the first year she was born, cried all the time...non-stop. My son asked me if we could give her back. lol
Fast forward 4 years and she ADORES her big brother. He is so patient with her, plays with her, lets her climb all over him. She looks for her "best brother," runs to him after a game to tell him "I'm so proud of you!"
I was worried that there would be such a big age difference between the two of them, but I just sit back and watch him be a fantastic brother to an adoring sister....it warms my heart.

That's awesome. Send him a care package tomorrow.
Be sure to tell him.
Tomorrow, plan on what you are going to send him for his birthday.

I am thankful for my children, sister, dad, mom, husband, all of my good, close, loving friends & my cousins.

Good to be thankful. :)