Blessed

I am blessed in multiple ways, but I wanted to talk about two in particular.

The first is Margaret. She has been such a wonderful and close friend for so long, and has always been someone I can count on for fun, laughs, advice, support and all those other things we value in our friendships. And as this pregnancy has progressed, I have come to appreciate and value her friendship even more.

In the journey towards and through pregnancy, I have had to adapt my lifestyle significantly. I have had to stop drinking alcohol (obviously), limit physical activity, and completely change my diet. As I've made each change, my social activities have gotten more limited -- I can no longer go out for drinks, stay out all night, go hiking/climbing/kayaking or enjoy going out to dinner. Throughout these changes, Margaret has been my primary source of support and companionship, as she has adapted to my new limitations without complaint. Instead of a hike, she'll walk around Greenlake with me; instead of drinks at a bar, she'll meet me for a movie. While I have watched other local* friendships fade as I'm unable to participate in activities, my friendship with Margaret has continued to grow and burn brightly. I appreciate that more than she can know.

I don't expect all of my friends to change their activities simply to accommodate me. I'm not angry or resentful if they don't -- this pregnancy is something Chris and I are doing together and I don't expect the rest of the world to jump on board just because we've made this decision. And I fully expect that I will reconnect with many friends once the baby is here, we have settled into a routine, and I can get back on the trails/rock/water/mountain or out on the town. I just wanted to express my profound appreciation of and gratitude to Margaret for being so flexible, supportive and involved on her own accord.

Another way I am (apparently) blessed is the result of an odd little thing that happened yesterday. Margaret and I were chatting on a bench after getting pedicures when a disheveled-looking man walked up to us and started making random gestures towards me. He didn't say anything, but he was nodding and smiling and making circles around his belly while pointing at mine. Then he did a little "ta da" kind of motion towards me and walked away. I think he blessed me.

*Note: I specified "local" friendships because I have a very strong network of dear friends who live far away. I don't want to undermine the support and friendship I have gotten from them via IM, emails, phone calls, text messages, and visits throughout this journey.