Thank you @penny for allowing us this wonderful opportunity to express our appreciation for SGs/SGHs/Members during this Holiday Season. Let's spread some love and cheer. #SGHolidayCheer
The weight of what I express below is not on her shoulders; it is just an expression of my appreciation and how I feel.
Where do I even start with this appreciation blog? I have a drink poured, a certain playlist playing, heck, even a Google Doc open so as not to lose anything should SG go afoul.
Although I’ve extolled my appreciation, admiration, and, well, basically professed my love for the dear, sweat @amoxi in previous blogs on my page, on her page, and in various other threads, I feel compelled to participate in this particular #SGHolidayCheer assignment.
Just thinking at this moment the impact this woman has had on my life is staggering and is bringing water to my eyes as I write this, literally, and she knows it’s true. Her positive influence is bewildering.
The intense light of a thousand suns can’t compare to my appreciation of this amazing, truly wonderful woman and person.
So, where to start? I suppose the beginning makes sense, especially since the anniversary is approaching. So, January 4, 2022 (yes, I know the exact date), I came across this particular SG Hopeful from the midwest, my home state in particular. So, after a brief dive into her archive of posts on SG, enough to discover that she departed from SG about a decade prior, I decided to casually reach out to her to say, “hi.”
She responded! Having gotten to know her, the fact that she responded isn’t surprising–she has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. This is one reason Amoxi is the spirit of SG; she embraces the community and engages with its members in a genuine way. She cares.
Our first few exchanges were innocuous enough; the standard fare of how two people get to know each other. But this polite conversation quickly took a turn, and the everyday, seemingly innocent “coincidences” rapidly piled up. So, from the time she learned that I am a technical writer and said grammar is sexy, to her buying KISS socks because I love the band, to so much more that I won’t divulge here (she and I know what these things are, and that’s all that matters). What’s important is that from the simplest of beginnings our friendship blossomed and a depth emerged. Our roots took hold, spread, and dug deeper.
Now, we are two peas, and she is unequivocally my Best Friend and I am hers! In less than a year, @amoxi has come into my life, has enhanced it beyond comprehension, and has brought so much joy into it. In some weird twist of fate we complement each other in so many ways, and there’s a bond there that can’t really be explained. Somehow, it feels like we’ve been friends our entire lives.
Before @amoxi, I had been very guarded on SG, and even more so on other social media platforms. But, on SG, I never felt the compulsion to be open with anyone and divulge personal details of my life. For whatever reason, maybe because she wears her honesty and compassion on her sleeve (her figurative sleeve, not her tattooed sleeve), I totally opened up to her with zero fear of judgment or rejection.
Amoxi came into my life when I was, and still am, going through one of life’s most challenging events. She has always been 100% supportive and encouraging and sympathetic.
At one point, a certain level of trust happened and we were sharing intimate details of our lives. But, if we skip over all the middle stuff, Amoxi has taken my heart, filled it, and nurtured it. As a result, my heart has grown three times its size, maybe more. I can feel my heart again. She is a permanent fixture in my day-to-day life, she’s the first person whom I think of when I wake up and the last person whom I think of as I fall asleep.
Aside from one other person, Amoxi has been on a rocket ride and she has become the most important person in my life. She is, as stated, my best friend, and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for her.
I have been completely blindsided by you, Amoxi, and the depth of the relationship that we have developed. What started from a simple “hello,” to sending casual messages, to sincere caring and unconditional affection for another human being, this is a wave I’m glad I caught and a journey I’m grateful to be a part of.
So where is the appreciation in this blog?
I appreciate you for giving me your unconditional friendship, and for accepting mine. I appreciate you for sharing your time with me. I appreciate you for letting me get to know you so deeply and personally, and vice versa. I appreciate you for how you feel, and vice versa. I appreciate you for all the life roles that you take on. I appreciate you for all that you are and everything that you do and all that you aspire to be. I appreciate you for your energy and your positivity. I appreciate you for letting me know when these things are running thin. I appreciate you for sharing the minutiae of our daily lives.
I appreciate you for your pure heart. A pure heart is about all that needs to be said, the rest just defines what that is, but maybe that needs to be said, because that definition is in my head and may not be what others think. I appreciate your kind heart, your kind soul, your generosity, your love, your view of the world, your love of nature and holistic living, your down-to-earth way to be, I appreciate your vast array of interests and hobbies, I appreciate your curiosity, your smile and laugh, your uniqueness, your zest for life, your warmth, your forgiveness, your logic, your way to think, your intelligence, your sense of humor, I appreciate your humanity, and so much more.
You are a beacon of light, and my life is forever changed because of you, as I’ve told you before. You will always and forever be in my heart, my thoughts, and in everything I do. That is how deeply you have touched me. With you in my life, there is a presence in my heart.
You inspire me completely. I’m inspired to be better, to do better, to do more, to chase life, to grab life by the balls and make it mine. You inspire me to be creative. You inspire me to accept who I am and to be who I am.
I’ve said I can’t imagine my life without you in it, but if I could fortify that statement, I would say that I want you in my life for the rest of my days, and maybe, just maybe, I’d be waiting for you on the other side. I see my future in your eyes.
With all my heart and love,
Shawn