Friends Make Life Sweet

I've been thinking about friendships recently. Maybe because I've had to make lots of new ones and renew lots of old ones in the past several months? When you pull up stakes and move across state lines, that means a whole new set of folks to get acquainted with.

Actually? It can be a bit nerve-wracking.

There. I admit it. I struggle with being comfortable meeting new people. My mind? It goes completely blank at those moments. Blank, I tell you! Conversation with people I've just met (or anyone really) is not my strong point. But amazingly enough....

I've somehow managed to make a few new friendships anyway! :D

And.....AND!!!! And these people really like me! Do you ever get that feeling? I don't know if I'll ever outgrow the desire for people to like me. And when they do, I'm still constantly amazed!

I think it might stem from struggling with making friends when I was younger. I never had a "best friend" when I was growing up. I mean, I wasn't completely friendless mind you. But a core group of people surrounding me? That just didn't happen. I even remember many moments of tearfully wondering if I'd ever have a really close friend. Sadly, I was in doubt of this. Happily, I was wrong! Because eventually a moment came when I found a core group of friends (there were five of us) and those girls gave me so much more than they probably even realize. And we're all still friends today! We don't get together all the time, we don't even chat with each other all the time. But when we do catch up, it's like the time between chats never even existed. It's a beautiful thing.

And somehow as an adult I've managed to make loads of new and close friendships. And one of the most awesome things about adult friendships? Age......makes no difference at all.

It's completely true! It's like age differences just disappear or something. I've recently gotten to know this amazing young woman. Somehow, we simply connect and understand each other. We laugh at the same things and tease each other often and just enjoy the moments when we're together. And not once at any given moment of time spent together, do I stop and think "but she's a decade younger than I". Not once! It simply makes no difference whatsoever. (Of course, I am the elder of the two, so maybe she'd tell you something different. You know, she did just call me a grandma recently.... ;)

Seriously though, I fully believe that God created women to desire relationships. And friendships are a huge part of that. They're important to us. I also believe that we should do all we can to cultivate them. I'm not saying we all need hundreds of friends, although there's nothing wrong with that. But there's also nothing wrong with having only a few close friends.

The important thing is that there's somebody else in our life. That there's somebody else to talk to. That there's somebody else to rely on. That there's somebody else ready to give a hug, listen to you, pray with you, simply be there.

To be there for someone else is....well, there's no words to describe it. It's important.

Another thing I've learned? Is that friendships change. And that's okay. Friends come and go in our lives. Some are there just for a certain moment, to help you through. And some will last a looooonnnnngggg time. Others will be around for a while, leave for a while, and then come back to you! Those are some of the sweetest ones, I have to tell you. A very dear friend of mine would agree. We lost touch for about five or six years or so, and then circumstances brought us back together! I absolutely feel like our friendship is even stronger now than it was before. And it's awesome!!

So I hope you have friends in your life. And if you're like I used to be, disbelieving that there's somebody out there who'll just like you for you, stop doubting. I don't know when. I don't know how. I don't know where. But I do know that someday, that somebody will be in your life.

They will!

In fact, they may already be there and you've simply overlooked them. You may need to just open your eyes. You even may need to stir a little bit out of your comfort zone and search for them....but that's a topic for another day.

So be brave. Don't give up. Treasure the friendships you have. Look forward to the friendships that are yet to come. And enjoy!