Hooray for friends, indeed. I am trying to be more mindful of opportunities to do this stuff lately. It's far too easy to get preoccupied with the day to day and miss the chance to improve someone's life.

What has someone done nice for me lately?

Well, my sweetie went with me to two screaming cold, sub-freezing, howling-wind Christmas events - a lighthouse-lighting and a parade - which were physically miserable, but which he knows ignite a childlike delight in me. With good humor and tenderness he tolerated my eternal to be 'part of things' despite his gradually numbing extremities. Oh, and he bought me a peppermint latte.

And yesterday, a co-worker gave me soup.

Awww, that's sweet. I've been thinking about you today, mightshould, as I know it's coming up to that time of year. It's hard, I know. George's birthday was 25 December. I'll give his mum a call that day. But things do get better. I never thought they would, but they do.

I'm a great believer in random acts of kindness. The last nice thing I had was a card in the mail from one of the bunnies, just a little note following on from meeting her in NYC. It made my day. I suppose I'm one of life's 'givers', and I admit I do find it hard to accept kindnesses from people, so a card in the mail can make my cry. I'd be in pieces if a parcel arrived!

My friend who died got his diagnosis on Christmas Eve in 2001...I got the email about it right before I went to bed that night. I've never really enjoyed the Christmas season for years, even before that...but I have to admit that putting these holiday cards together for you bunnies is making my grinchy heart just a little bit bigger these days. I'm serious.

Hugs to both mightshould and essexjan. And here's to better days ahead...(mightshould, your friends rock!)

But things do get better. I never thought they would, but they do.

In my experience, things will continue to get better every day, every year. I've been dreaming lately of my first partner. In the dreams, I tell him about school, about my life now, about how much I miss him but how different my life is --- how different I am. Then I introduce him to The Fella. I tell him how happy I am in the life I've built since he died, and I ask him to be happy for me.

I think he would be.

The nicest thing recently? Besides some kind e-mails from certain special bunnies; the results today from my husbands' bone scan. It shows that there is nothing in his bones - which means no metastacies from his kidney tumor. Yay! Now we're hoping the surgery will take care of all of it. Keep your collective fingers crossed, please!

((((mightshould and essexjan)))))) and happy wishes to better days ahead.

Jesus, that's beautiful.

I wish I could come up with something someone has done for me, but . . . nope. I'm actually feeling a little stretched, as finances are tight this holiday, I have taken on almost all of the household chores with mrs. tr33 carrying child, one of my students is asking for an extension because she's been under psychiatric care after she tried to kill herself and I really like her and this is just a part time job ferchrissakes . . . I'm looking for some good karma though. C'mon Karma!

Hooray, redvixen! Glad to hear it! And mightshould, that is wonderful. What thoughtful friends.

I'm currently working for a friend's husband, burning the detritus from his tree-falling work. I haven't seen this friend much lately (she's very pregnant, I don't socialize much these days), and miss her. Yesterday when he headed off with a load of wood, I asked if he could grab me a coffee. When he handed it to me, he said, "Genn sends this with a big hug and a kiss. She says you give the best hugs. Oh, and when you were desperate for firewood and called me, she said if you couldn't get some from your regular guy, I was to make sure you had some no matter what, even though my list was a month long." She'd made the coffee especially for me (I was expecting that he'd grab one from the cafe on his way by), and it was delicious.

Gosh redvixen, that's great news!

And, as long as we all have someone, somewhere who sends good thoughts our way, we have much for which to be thankful. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it, so that's why it's good to share neat things like my friends did for me. I guess that's what's nice about this place. From cute bunny pics to the voices of care and concern when we need it.

tr33hggr, hope the karma comes through. (I'm working though a small portal)

Echoing mightshould's opinions about this place. I've come to look forward to "speaking" with all of you even more so than RL friends. I can't tell you how much your posts and comments have come up in conversations. 'Tis the season to be thankful, and I am so thankful for finding this place (and I still don't know how I did) and all you wonderful people.

****sending good thoughts and wishes to all who need it, along with great thanks to all those who sent me theirs*****

What a great thread! Awesome friends, mightshould. And awesome news on Mr redvixen, too.

mrs chewie totally surprised me a couple of weeks ago with some of those stubby cheese knives I'd asked about here and on AskMe. I love them!

What has someone done nice for you recently?

Coming back here a day later to say:
I just got an email from my childhood best friend, who now lives in Australia and has been travelling without phone or email for weeks. She remembered that it's two years ago today that Dad died, and she wanted to send me love and squeezes.

I'm so touched that I'm a bit teary-eyed.