Every year around this time for the past few years, my friend Stef rounds up our ever expanding circle of friends for our annual “Friendsgiving” dinner at her apartment, which is basically a huge Thanksgiving-style meal- sans blood-relatives- before we all get swept up in the inevitable stress and mayhem that is the busy holiday season. Everyone brings a dish or two (I was on apple and pumpkin pie duty this year,) a bottle of wine and/or beer- and we all sit down together at a long table, stuff our faces, and nine times out of ten- get a little tipsy. This year’s celebration was particularly poignant, however, since it was Stef’s last Friendsgiving in her longtime apartment. She’s moving into a new condo elsewhere in the city this coming weekend.

It’s a tradition I look forward to every year. In my teens and up until my early twenties, my friends and I were inseparable. We spent pretty much every day together, mornings and well into the later hours of the night. Of course, as we got a little older, some of us started careers that demanded more of our time and attention, others started families that demanded even more of those things- and others moved away- some a town or two over and some across state lines. As we settled into adulthood, our daily adventures became more of a weekly/monthly sort of thing- so to be able to sit down, all together, and enjoy good food and each other’s company without worrying about our everyday responsibilities for a few hours- is truly a wonderful, and very fun thing.

Not wanting to be overdressed for what is typically a casual affair, I wore leggings and my new favorite oversized “festive” t-shirt, courtesy of HUMAN. Stef loves Hall & Oates, so I thought it would be appropriate. Unfortunately, it was freezing last night, so the additional layers were necessary.

Thanksgiving is, of course, a time to give thanks, and although I’m a couple of days early, let me take the opportunity to say how thankful I am for my friends- whether it be my life-long ones I spent time with last night, to the ones I see occasionally or the ones I don’t see nearly as often as I’d like, to those who live far away and/or overseas, or to the ones I talk to online almost every day about anything and everything- from Sephora addiction, to terrible horror movies, to how adorable Tom Hiddleston’s overall demeanor is, or to how traumatic this season of “The Walking Dead” is turning out to be.

And even to the friends I haven’t met yet- I’m thankful. I truly am. They all, YOU all- have helped me through so much in recent months and over the past couple of years with unyielding love, support, and humor- and there aren’t enough words or space on this blog of mine that could ever properly convey my gratitude. I cherish and love my friends, near and far, more than anything in this world. I am thankful for many, many things- but to be blessed with such good friendships is definitely at the top of the list.

xoxo