Friends

Yesterday I got the sweetest email from one of my longtime friends. It was sent to a group of us girls, who are still friends after years and years of knowing one another. I still keep in touch and get together regularly with my friends whom I have known since early elementary school. It is so fun to see where all of our lives have taken us, and feel blessed to still call them my "dear friends". We have seen each other move away to school, get married, some divorce, some have children, some have great sadness with their children...but regardless of the different paths our lives have gone, we are still dear friends. I can always count on a good laugh when I am with them, and I love that I can show up in my pajamas with no makeup on and no one will care how I look. Not only am I lucky to still be friends with my girlfriends from high school, but since I have been married and and lived in this home/ward, I have met some truly remarkable and dear women who I am so lucky to call my friends. They are such wonderful examples to me, and I am so lucky to have my girls grow up with their children. They are the type of mothers who just get it. I will never have to worry about Lilly or Claire being at one of their homes, and in this day and age, I feel like that is so rare. And, I can't speak about friendships without mentioning these women: my mom and sisters. Don't get me wrong, I adore my brothers and dad, but there is something about your mom and having a sister. I was over the moon when Claire was delivered and the doctor said "It's a girl!". All I could think about is how lucky Lilly was to have a sister. Being the youngest of 5, I was never very close with my sisters (who were the two oldest), it wasn't until I have been married and since had children that I feel so close with them. My sister called me the other night, so sad and upset...and after I hung up the phone from her, I just thought how glad I was that she felt like she could call me and lean on me when she was so sad. Then there is my mom...she gets me, she knows me, and she loves me...unconditionally. Is there a better friendship than that? I don't think so. I don't have to act a certain way with her, I can just BE....and to me, that is the best feeling. I have mentioned before how for the birthday's in my family, my siblings and my parents get together for lunch. Just recently, we got together for my brothers birthday's. We spent a good two hours talking non stop about everything from books, movies, our children, funny stories, sad stories...you name it, we covered it! I love this tradition! I love the relationship and friendship we all have as adults.

I hope and pray that Lilly and Claire will be blessed with good friends, and that they will one day understand the importance of good friends. I don't want for them to strive to have lots of friends...I just want them to have good, dear friends. Because I know that my life has been better because of all the wonderful and dear friends I have.