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An Ode to Friendship

Tuesday, September 18, 2018


You know what is a really precious gift?

Friendship.

Think about it.

Life, hopefully, is long. We go through so much: from being kids out on the playground, to teenagers finding our own way and ourselves in the process, to young adults building a life piece by piece, much like we built towering buildings out of blocks on that playground so many years before. We, hopefully, find someone we love and who loves us back, but before that and sometimes even after, heartbreak comes. Some of us start a family and try our best to navigate the journey of raising small humans to be good big humans. We work, we succeed, we fail, we try again. We lose people we love. All the while, in between, we simply live life and, hopefully, enjoy the ride.

But what is the ride without someone next to you?

That's where friendship comes in.

There are the friends we make when we're so small that we grow up not knowing the difference between them and our family. We have been there for each other through it ALL: carefree childhood, sickness, losing a parent, getting ready for school dances, boy trouble, the awkward years (you know the ones I'm talking about). These friendships are held so dear because they are rooted in the very fabric of who we are, where we came from, and what we're about. These friends know everything about us, and love us anyway. These are the friends we can go months without talking to, and pick up right where we left off. 

Friendships formed in college and our young adult years are special because -- let's be honest -- there are some interesting (read: very fun and probably a little dangerous) memories made during this time, and those we make them with enter our lives at a pivotal time. There is so much transition during these years: living away from home, loneliness, independence, often a new city or state. The friends we connect with during these years are those we find home with when everything else seems unfamiliar. These are the friends who, decades later, we'll say "remember when..." and instantly be transported to a younger and probably slightly reckless version of ourselves who we have likely long since buried. And we'll laugh together.

It's likely we'll come away with strong friendships from places we've worked. We met deadlines together, stressed alongside each other, cheered each other on, and cried tears of selfish sadness, but also pride, when it was time for one of us to move on. Work friendships are so unique because we spend most of our lives at work, don't we? No wonder we so often come away with friendships that last long after a job ends. Our coworkers turned friends usually end up knowing most details of our life -- from what our typical lunch order is to who we're dating.

And then there are mom friends. These are the friends we make because of our kids, but whose companionship, constant texts ("Is this normal?" "My kid just had their 12th tantrum of the morning" "When is that due again?" "Haaaalp"), support, encouragement, and understanding become our lifeline during the precious, but tough, years we're raising our children. 

A lot of people will come into our lives, and a lot of people will go. But I'm a firm believer that once in a while, there will be those that step in and we immediately know them. They're meant to be in our lives. They enrich it, they make us laugh, they support us. They're just there. I have a wonderful family who I adore spending time with, but let me tell you... I don't know what I would do without my friendships. They are deep and true and they make me better, and I am so grateful for them. 

My hope for you is that no matter where you are along this twisting and turning ride, when you recognize someone as a true friend -- someone worth sitting next to and hanging onto -- you do just that

3 comments:

  1. Oh lover, you couldn’t be more accurate. And of course, you said it perfectly. You, my dear friend, are one of a kind. So very thankful for our friendship. XO

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    1. Right back at YOU! Forever grateful for you. Love you! XOXO

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  2. So glad it resonated with you, Lauren! <3

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