When you step into the role of a parent that has a special needs child, everything changes. Everything. Friends become put on the back burner as do other vital people, issues and responsibilities. It is a juggling act that none of us have mastered. None of us ever will by the way. Amid the stress of everyday, it is easy for many of us to pull away from the world. Friends, real friends, they see you. They know you need to come back. You need to remember you have your own identity. I am thankful for the friends that make plans because they know I desperately need adult interaction. Selfless. Those who have been there in the trenches. I am thankful for the ones that I do not hardly ever see, but I feel their prayers nonetheless. I am thankful for the new friendships that have evolved from joining the community of special needs. There is so much that gets lost in the juggle. So I need to shout it out, I recognize you, friends. I hold you high even when I lack the energy to express it. Thank you for your words of validation. Thank you for supporting my child’s non-profit 5k’s and events. Thank you for loving not just me, but my whole crazy family. Thank you for the messages reminding me that I am not alone. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you. You inspire me to be a better friend.