You've Got A Friend

I spent a lovely evening with 2 of my girlfriends last night. One has just been smacked with a break up- the end of an engagement and the discovery of some lies and a messy situation. She'll be fine but 3 days after it all happened, she needed a fun night out filled with a little wine, a lot of sushi, and an enormous amount of laughter. I'm very fortunate to have friends that I know I can call on for exactly that. I have a friend who will fight to save my marriage if I ever get so low that I feel like I have to get out without really strong cause. She and I have this same passionate foundation about marriage, kids, and divorce. I take great comfort in knowing there is someone in our lives who know Jeff and I well enough that she can step in and intervene if things are ever in a really dark and desperate place. I have a friend that is everything I need in an understanding parenting resource. In so many ways, she is the parent I strive to be. She is so deeply connected to her child and I truly love that about her. She has a similar passionate foundation about parenting- our philosophies are almost identical. I have a friend who lives far away but is connected to my soul. No matter what is going on in my life or in his life, I know that a phone call and a tone of voice and he will know or I will know and there doesn't have to be a lot of explaining or questions. We just know. We've had this deep connection since we met. Our lives have taken vastly different paths and I am so amazingly proud of him- and I know that he is so amazingly proud of me, too. I have a friend who I learn so much about just from being near her energy. We know each other mostly online but have gotten our kids together a couple of times. She has a child with autism and her grace and patience are amazing. She just plain old "gets it." I learn so much from her in every interaction and am so blessed to know her. She's one of those people that I know I could call on for just about anything- she would literally give the shirt off her back. I have a friend that I don't get to see as often as I would like. We meet for breakfast from time to time to connect and catch up. We e-mail and talk on the phone sometimes, too. There isn't regular contact but we do enjoy each other's company every time we are together. In many ways, we are very different from each other. But in really important ways, we are very much the same. I have a friend I met in high school but didn't really become close to until college. We don't live in the same city so we don't get to see each other often. But we have reconnected as adults, as mothers, as wives. We make an effort to stay connected and to even get our families together for fun and quality time. She is smart and funny, as is her husband. She is strong and loving. She is whimsical and fun. I have a friend who is passionate about life and spirituality. I have a friend who is loving and kind beyond measure. I have a friend who has fortitude and chutzpah beyond most anything I've ever encountered. I have a friend with seemingly boundless energy that she uses in a positive way. I am so very blessed to have all of these amazing people in my life. I have a husband who is my everyday everything- my soul mate, my best friend, my lover, my partner. I have friends through a variety of places- blogging, church, a local moms' website, a national moms' website, work. I have friends from a variety of backgrounds. I have friends living a wide variety of different lifestyles. I have friends I can hug, hold, laugh with, cry with... I have shoulders to lean on and arms that are open to me at any time. It's amazing to look around you and really recognize how much love is in your life. Have you ever stopped to really inventory the blessings of the people in your life? From deep, passionate, strong friendships to casual, fun, important acquaintances... our connections to other people are what make life tick. To all my friends, every single one of you, I love you and am so thankful to have you in my life in any capacity.