An Ode to my Friends

I have to write this right now. I just do. I am blessed with the most wonderful people in my life. It's easy to feel like I do everything myself, like I'm totally independent and 100% capable of relying on me, myself, and I all the time. But I'm not. I am not super woman. I have some moments of being pretty super, but I also sometimes crumble, and gosh-- my safety net of caring, beautiful people is always there even when I don't seek it. It's like you guys just know. Actually, you do. You just know. How truly lovely.

I have friends who are also family, like my mom, brother, sister, aunts, cousins, etc. When I was 13, my mom was very much my mom, and it's been so much fun to grow up so that she can be my friend, too. I like being old enough to not bicker with my siblings and just have them as confidants and friends-- people who have known me for a lifetime.

I have friends who are going through life's greatest challenges, dealing with hardships and hard lessons from life and who still manage to take the time to make sure we meet up for friend-dates and who check in with little emails and text messages. How did I get so lucky? How do I ever let this be taken for granted? Hopefully I do a good job at being part of the safety nets of my friends, too.

I have friends who know me. Really know me. Friends who can listen to me cry on the phone or who can hear nothing and understand exactly what is going on with me-- good or bad. I know that regardless of geographic distance or life events, we will always be friends. These are the friends that the conversation picks up right where it left off, no matter how much time has passed since we last saw each other, whether it was Sunday for a drive or last year for coffee during an airport layover.

I have friends who are fun, friends who are insightful, friends who love me, friends who write letters to me, friends in the West, friends in the East, friends overseas, old friends, new friends, and friends everywhere in between.

I have been slowly overwhelmed with little things piling up with my move, and I haven't been the best or most attentive friend lately, but I hope you all know how very much I care about you, and how very, very grateful I am to have you. Love always.