Annie E.

It's a wonderful thing to open my inbox and find an email from my dear friend Annie.  And that's just what I did today.

Annie is another one of my wonderful Tuscaloosa friends.  Another person who took a lonely girl under her wing at a difficult time in her life.  And I am forever grateful for this wonderful woman.

I met Annie while working in the Cataloging Department at the University of Alabama.  She sat in the cubicle in front of me.  I don't know exactly how we started talking and becoming friends, but I do know Annie was nice from the very beginning.  But that's just Annie.  I think our friendship really started to blossom when I ran into her at the laundromat one evening.  And I think there was one time after that in which she picked me up and we went to the laundromat together.  I can't remember the reason for it, but I remember it happened.

And after that, we just started talking more at work.  Annie would invite me to join her at the Christmas Party at the President's mansion.  Which was super-awesome, because I would never have gone alone.  I would have felt too awkward and conspicuous not having someone to go with and talk to.  Annie was kind enough to offer both of those things that first year I was there.  And, though that may seem a small thing, it really did impact me a lot.  And I still remember how grateful I was for it to this day.

Annie and I (along with our other friend and co-worker Le) made up Team WEB for Strive for Five.  Basically, we worked toward losing weight as a team, eating well as a team, drinking a lot of water, having happy thoughts, etc...  It was a fun little incentive-type thing the University did, and then we got to enjoy breakfast and a huge group picture inside the huge UA stadium (the one and only time I was in there -- and it is impressively huge).  We had fun participating in this together.

And...  Well, Annie and I were somewhat attacked by a rat together.  At work.  Yeah, it's a great story.  I still laugh about it and can picture Annie screaming and jumping in the air as the rat ran toward (and past) her.  Definitely one of the greatest working tales of all time.

I'm so grateful for Annie.  Grateful that we have kept in touch these several years since I left.  Grateful I was able to see her when we went down in October.  Grateful that she always makes time to see me whenever I am passing through.  People like Annie just make this world a better place, and I feel so blessed to call her my friend.

What are you grateful for today?