A toast to Knit Night.

Thursday night finally arrives ... it's been a long, full week. Like so many others, we're feeling the pressure in our own circumstances. That's life. But this week it's been compounding and I really needed Thursday knit night with my friends.

I leave about 20 minutes before our set time. It's the height of evening chaos in my house. Dinnertime is usually still in progress, bathtime, homework, it's all happening. It's strange each week to just walk out of that scene on Thursday nights.

I grab my knitting, coat, keys, a couple bucks for a soda. Kiss my boys goodbye and shut the door behind me. Leaving the warmth and energy and attitudes for Daddy to deal with for one night. I get in my rockin' minivan and crank up my music. Pull out and glide down the street. Last night it was raining and I was struck by how sparkly and pretty the street lights, car lights looked in the rain. Blurry. Number 10 on Coldplay's latest CD was playing and I started to get a lump in my throat.

Sitting at the stoplight waiting to turn left felt like it took 10 minutes. I had such a rush of emotion. Blurry car lights in the shiny black rain. Memories of our family vacation to New England flash. The pressure of this week comes crushing down and in a split moment I CRY. I smile. I laugh. It all comes flooding out just as Number 10 on the CD mounts. I turn left finally and cruise down Hickman. The tempo picks up and before I hit the next stoplight I'm done crying. I'm thinking forward to my friends at the cafe. How I dearly need to see them. How I do every week and have for four years. I need them. It's not just about the knitting. It's about our sisterhood. It's about our knitting family.

I pull in to the parking spot at the grocery store. I park in the back of the lot... farthest from the door. Get out, put my hood up to protect myself from the rain. Make sure my knitting bag is closed tight so my wooly wonders don't get wet. I'm struck by how warm it feels out despite the cold rain. A quick walk in to the store and I have a bounce in my step in anticipation of seeing the familiar faces of my knitting friends.

There they are. Ahh. I settle in and settle down. All is right in the universe again. Small talk. Smiles. Laughter. Stories. Woes. Wonderment. New patterns. New Yarns. New projects. New friends. Old friends. Dear friends. I love this. I love them. I love it. I hope you all know how important you are to me. I hope you all know what a special thing we have. Thanks for that. :)