I put this video together to thank my friends for being there for our family during the past year.

Tomorrow marks 6 months since my father-in-law passed away in our home. It was early in the morning; my hubby was helping Dad to the bathroom when he collapsed saying, “I need to rest”. Dave screamed my name. I knew in my heart what had happened, I’d heard that tone before. Dave’s mom collapsed and died in his arms, in our home, on October 7, 2005.

I flew down the stairs two at a time, leaped over where Dave and Dad lay in the hall and dialed 911. Within 10 minutes the fire trucks were outside our door. I held Dad on my lap while Dave opened the door and showed the firemen where to go. I knew Dad was already gone by this point, but I couldn’t put him down on the cold, tile floor.

The paramedics dragged him down the hall and into the front foyer, a larger space for them to work on him. He was no longer with us, but still they pounded on his chest, injected medication into his veins and intubated him.

The entire time I was watching them work on Dad, answering their questions about his medical history and medications, I had one eye on the clock. You see… Dad’s certifiable wife of 4 years had abandoned him 6 weeks earlier, after causing him {and us} great distress for several months. She had called saying she was coming by that morning to get some of her things. I didn’t want her to see him being taken away by ambulance. I didn’t want her to see us in such agony. I couldn’t bare to see her. Period.

If it wasn’t for our friends who rallied around us; bringing us meals, taking our kids for the night, helping with the funeral, holding us up, standing in the gaps, I don’t know how we would have survived.

One Sunday morning, I was standing by myself at the front of the church, crying, when a friend came over and put her arm around me. I turned into her for a full-on-hug and crumpled into her chest under the weight of all we’d been through. I felt like I had been gutted. As I sobbed in the nook where her neck and shoulder meet, you know the spot… the area your kids snuggle into when they’re little, that I realized friends are the family we choose for ourselves {Edna Buchanan}.

So from my family to all my friends. Thank You.

Let your friends know they count!