Friends

That is such a lame title, but maybe I'll be inspired as I write. Piggybacking on that last blog, I've been thinking about friends. How in the world did I fall for the costume fiasco that Halloween in middle school? Did I not have one loyal friend to give me a heads-up? That's what is really bugging me today. So I'm thinking back on the history of friends. Perhaps working backwards will help me think this through. Right now I am blessed with an abundance of friends in Murray. We have lots of things in common, like having kids, Settlers of Catan, scrapbooking, frisbee golf, and a love for the God that brought us together. That's a lot of common ground! Lately, we've even been blessed with new friends, which is very cool.

When I moved to Murray in 1998, I was a new Christian, and one of my prayers was that I would make some good friends. I wanted some solid friends in my life. Wow, did God answer that prayer! I guess he knows what a blessing friends are. So along came Brandon, Suzie, Jeff, Eric, Kristin, Cara, Kelly, Mike, Kent, Pup, Short, Sarah, the list goes on. And for the most part, I am still close to most of these friends. God created bonds that last.

That moves us back to high school. I don't think I had many good friends my freshman and sophomore years. Maybe a couple, but that's it. Things picked up my junior year though, and that was better. I met Aaron and we ended up dating for a long time. I had friends in chorus that remain to be friends today. The other friends I had were kind of fair-weather.
One exception is my neighbor Amber. We grew up together and had very different interests, but there was always that growing-up-together factor that kept us friends. She was strong and tough and could defend me (where in the world was she at the middle school Halloween party????).

This whole thing kind of depresses me a little. But it shouldn't. It took all this for me to pray the prayer that God continues to answer today for friends. Friends that I have the most important thing in common with. Friends like Kristin that are everyday friends that I can take a walk with, problem solve with, play games with, raise babies with, talk about real stuff with, cry with, and laugh with. Friends like Kim to go to the grocery with, scrapbook with, do house projects with, shop with, and eat hot dogs by the fire with. Friends like Aaron who've known me longer than most other people. Friends like Holly who are new, but feel old. Friends like my teacher friends who know my heart for kids but understand my heart for my kids. Friends like my sis who I've known my whole life and am just now truly appreciating as a best friend. Friends like Pup who've seen it all with me and still loves me. He's stuck around through sad times where all I could do was cry, tight times where it seemed like all we could do was fight, and amazing times where it was all worth it.

I guess all this makes us who we are. And for that I'm glad. One thing I know is that praying for good friends for my kids is not a waste of breath or a trivial matter. Good friends make life better.