Friends

When I was a little girl, friends were something you kept count of. The more friends you had, the higher your social ranking. Best friends changed frequently, many times based on totally irrational criteria. So and so said thus and such about my dress, my lunch, my toys, and now they aren’t my friend! It was exhausting!

Today, my group of friends is small, but so valued. They are a diverse group of women, of different ages with different backgrounds, talents, political leanings, religious beliefs. But, what they all have in common is the ability to accept me as me, with all my flaws and foibles. They all can listen when I need an ear, and I value all the advice they have to offer. They’ve cheered me in my successes and consoled me in my failures. They’ve laughed with me, sometimes uncontrollably, and given me strength when I haven’t been able to see the light.

Weeks, months, and sometimes years have gone by, and I still can reconnect with each one of these special women as though no time has passed at all.

Some of these women stood out from the moment I met them, and I immediately decided that there was someone I wanted to call “friend.” And, some were surprises—casual social or work relationships that grew into something I treasure today.

My resolution this year is to refocus on my friends—to make lunch or dinner dates, to listen, to laugh, to support, to share, to love each one of them.