Thankful

I have a friend at work. For a few years in my PhD program, I didn't really hang out with anyone at work. This was sad to me. The other student in my lab was a guy a good bit older than I, and though we got along well, neither of us talked enough to strike up a friendship. I was used to it, but it was lonely.

Now I have a friend at work. She joined the lab three years ago, and now she is the easiest kind of friend- the kind you can watch TV with and not feel guilty about wasting time you could spend talking, because you saw them yesterday and will see them tomorrow, if there's anything new to say. Her desk is in the cubby next to mine, and we can lean around the wall and see if the other is doing anything interesting (i.e., something other than work). We work on the same project, meet together with out boss, have lunch together frequently, and generally do a lot of life side-by-side. We report on the day-to-day events of our evenings and sometimes we hang out outside of work. She is a year behind me in school and a few years ahead of me in life. We talk about TV and books and marriage and plans. Sometimes I worry that she wishes I would shove off, mostly since she couldn't get away from me if she tried, and she is too nice even to try. But, I think we both enjoy having someone around who is more interested in life outside of work than in their latest scientific achievement.

She is one of the things that make my life good, the things I am thankful for.