Friends Forever

Girlfriends are such a big part of my life. I don't have a lot of close friends, but the ones I have are more than friends, they are my family. We are as close as people can be, we know all of each other's secrets, know our moods. We have shared victories and defeats together. We have laughed and cried together. I have friendships now that I never knew were possible. I didn't know people could be this close, love this much.

My first real experience with this kind of friendship was back in '97 when my dad passed away. I had a couple of girlfriends that I hung out, we were close. But, this event made us closer. They came with me to his service, they stood by my side. They cried with me and tried to comfort me, not with just words but with their presence. They didn't know what to say, but they stood by me. I have a picture of us that day. We all had big hair left over from the 80's. We look so young. But, I love that picture. I knew that day that I would have these friends forever.

Over the years we have been through so much. We have all had children, lost lost loved ones, had fights but then made up. Every one of these events has been a building block of our friendship. These blocks just keep making it stronger, harder to break down. Through these girls I have learned that you can screw up, and screw up big, but they will still love you. They won't toss you aside over some petty argument or disagreement. It forces us to be honest, even when it's hard to be or when it hurts. But, it makes us that much stronger in the end.

So, I am thankful for these friends. God has blessed me with women that will be there with me for the rest of my life. I'm sure we will all be at Target with our walkers when we are 80, still laughing and being silly. We will still be bargain shopping and crafting and going to the movies together. We will always be there for each other and that makes me happy.

So, today I am excited to spend the afternoon with these ladies. We even get to have dinner with one of their moms and her best friends from years and years. It's our own version of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I am so blessed to have to have them in my life. I love you girls!