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What I’m Thankful for This Christmas

Perhaps this is a post I should have made at Thanksgiving—when you talk about things you’re thankful for—but I had an experience that made me realize something.

My parents threw their annual Christmas party and I invited a few of my close friends from high school. I don’t stay in touch with a ton of people, but those I do keep up with I make sure to keep close. My friend Janelle recently married a wonderful guy named Anthony, and I’ve known him for several years and was a bridesmaid in their wedding. We were all catching up when Anthony mentioned that he’d read a Funny or Die article I’d written and shared it on Twitter. He also discussed a section he found funny and made sure to ask me about it.

I don’t know if this is the case for many other writers, but moments like this rarely happen to me. I’ve written for a number of websites, but rarely do people take the time to tell me that they’ve read something of mine, let alone shared it with others. It’s rare, and it actually means a lot to me.

As a writer—and not the type who writes one book a year, but the online type who puts out material on a daily basis—it’s not always easy to find fans. I use the term “fans” loosely, as what I actually mean is that finding people who will read your pieces and not only appreciate them, but share them on Facebook or Twitter is difficult.

Many of my friends have been very good about sharing articles on Facebook or Twitter without me asking and for that I am extremely thankful. I don’t express it enough, but it really does mean the world to me. Believe me, there are people I’m very close to who I wish shared my pieces, but they don’t. Sigh.

I’d just like to say, for every one of my friends or readers who have consistently clicked on links, given me a “Like” on Facebook or shared something I’ve written—thank you so much. I notice each and every one of those times and I can’t express how thankful I am. Even though it’s just a read of an article, for me it’s how I spend my time and it means so much to me.

If you’ve shared, liked an article, or talked to me about my pieces, I’m really thankful, from the bottom of my writer heart!!

xoxo

On Janelle & Anthony’s Wedding

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Today my friend from middle school, Janelle, will be marrying her fiancé, Anthony.

I feel lucky for a few reasons:

  1. I get to be a bridesmaid and stand by her side at the altar.
  2. Janelle found someone who suits her as well as Anthony does.
  3. I get to eat cake.

Just kidding on that third one!!!…Kind of.

In all seriousness, I have known Janelle for a long time. Long enough that she saw me through my fat phase, knows about that time in middle school when I locked our math teacher out of the classroom (Sorry, Mrs. Kaczowka!), and was there on my 20th birthday when I wrapped a sheet around myself and declared, “I am Batman!”

I didn’t really become close friends with Janelle until high school. We ran in different circles, even though in a school of 100 kids having circles seems somewhat pointless. But it was in high school, when I started to get involved with theater, that Janelle and I felt a kind of kinship. When I say “kinship,” what I truly mean is that we both made each other laugh.

We’ve shared a love of roller coasters, Anthony Hopkins (no relation to her now fiancé, though, admittedly, the shared first name seems oddly convenient…), haunted houses, dancing to “Peanut Butter Jelly Time,” and all things completely nonsensical.

Keeping in touch and staying close has not been easy, especially since I decided to go to Boston for undergrad and Los Angeles for grad school, and Janelle landed at FSU then Iowa for veterinary school. 

She also landed Anthony (or he landed her, rather) and, like some winged Amazonian bird, my feathers immediately went up when I sensed a threat to my friendship. However, I can say with great pleasure, that we have stayed friends and I couldn’t be more excited to watch them both start a life together! Xoxo

But to the millions who said we wouldn’t last, I’d just like to say…

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I CAN HAVE MY CAKE AND EAT JANELLE TOO! Or, wait, that’s the saying, right? No…? Let’s make it one?