Friends

What does that exactly mean? There are all sorts of friends. The ones that are social, that will sit at a bar with you on any given night and drink until you think you are sisters that were separated at birth or there are the true friends that will be there no matter what you are doing!  Sometimes that sounds like a cliche, but over time I have realized what a friendship means.  When I was younger, the friends i had were my lifeline. I had a bad home life and every weekend I wanted my friends to stay with me so things would be ok. To me, my friends were my saving ingredient. Then when I got older my friends were the ones that drank and weren't afraid to let loose and do whatever it was we weren't supposed to do! At that point in my life they were the bestest friends.  Looking back, it probably wasn't the best friendships considering I would be in the bathroom puking while they were doing More shots!  Granted most were like that, but I had one in particular that was with me for the long haul. At that time in out lives we were both struggling to find our place and we were holding onto each other trying to figure it out.  She is still my friend and has been since we were in the first grade. I love her!  I have a few friends (Annie and Sarah) that I have remained very close to since kindergarten and first grade. I feel so lucky to have them in my life and to be able say that these girls have been there for me over a decade!

I have those few girls that I have been friends with since my early youth and then the ones I have made since then that are priceless.  Who is to define friendship by longevity?   I know firsthand that is not necessary true. Since I have been married and had kids, I have been introduced to different people and groups and I can say that I have formed very "real" friendships with these people. I trust them, love them, and enjoy being around them...  not because I have to, but because I want to! 

Friendship can mean many different things to everyone and can be defined by different things, but I know who I consider my friends and I want to tell all of you, "Thank you for being there!"