Friends

This will be one of many notes that I write about my friends. I can’t say enough about the friends that God has blessed me with.

Do you have your ‘tribe’? The friend you can call at 3am and they answer? Your friend that will watch your child either because you have an emergency or because you just need some alone time? Your friend that will call to take a last minute trip for some ice cream? Or are you still searching?

There are a few examples of friendship that I’d like to share. Each friend helped me in a way that fit their personality and, in each instance, it was exactly what I needed.

I had surgery back in 2013, and couldn’t eat solid foods for some time. About a week or two after the surgery, there was a ladies breakfast at church. One friend, who knew about the surgery, sat foodless with me, so I wouldn’t be the only one not eating.

In 2010, another friend stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, individually drying my precious pictures, after I lost my house in a fire, and the pictures were wet from the fire hose. My family and I were staying at my grandmother’s house, who did not own a hair dryer, so we were taking pictures and drying each one, carefully, with paper towels. She was also my first high school friend. It was as simple as her saying, “We go home the same way, want to walk together?”. Over 33 years we’ve been friends.

One of my most heart warming memories involves a time when I was at my lowest. Suffering from depression and anxiety, I often don’t know why I’m sad or how to express what I’m feeling. We were cleaning up after a clothing giveaway. I had sat down, as my heart was heavy, and I just needed to be still. She came over and sat down on the grass next to me. She did not expect me to speak. She didn’t ask questions or offer advice. She was there in that moment to let me know I was not alone.

Now, I know that I may not be able to count on all of my friends for everything, but I have figured out, mostly, who I can count on in specific circumstances. I know my absolute best friend is not good at answering my random texts, but will call or be at my house whenever I need her. We plan nights out to charity events, plays, or wherever we can. Our time is definitely quality over quantity. Another friend checks on me practically every day. I like knowing that I’m thought of, even if the text is a simple ‘hi’ or a funny selfie.

Other friends are pretty regular during the summer. We like to visit a local ice cream shop monthly. The time together is special, as we are off in our own different lifestyles and we relish the time we have.

A key to my friendships, in my opinion, is I try to be the friend that they need, without sacrificing my identity. They accept me as the quiet one, the processor, the one who is working on showing affection more, and the one that is trying to be better every day.

I love the diversity of my friends. You name a characteristic, I have a friend who probably has it. The one thing that draws all of us together is Love. Whether we’re together through texts, church, Facebook, ice cream shops, at a birthday party, the love we share for one another is evident. The actions back up the words, “I love you”.