First friends

We all have friends. Some come and go. Some stay. Some come and go and stay all at the same time. I am so lucky to have such wonderful beautiful friends. Friends from long ago, friends that I just met, friends that touched my life then, and now. I want to introduce you to a few of my first friends, as each of them have such a special place in my life...

My first childhood friend has been by my side for almost 23 years. We grew up, together, in the same small town in southern Virginia, our homes only a couple miles from each other. We went through elementary, middle and high schools together, holding hands. Sometimes we let go, but some way or another our hands always found each other again. We're still holding hands today, and I am so grateful.

My first (boy)friend has been such a light in my life since the day I met him. I'm not sure what it is about him, but I felt a special energy and connection with him, even at a young age. We dated, we broke up, we fought, we made up. Turns out he was never really romantically interested in me, and that's when our friendship took a huge leap towards special. Over the last ten years, we've gone years without speaking to speaking on a weekly basis and haven't missed one damn beat. I love him, and all that he offers me in our friendship. A nice ground to stand on. He is one hell of a man, and treats me as though I'm his queen. 

My first friend in Maryland has been the long lost older sister I've been looking for,  my whole life. Smart, sensitive, mature, and beautiful describes this special woman. I have often found it very challenging in my adult years to make female friends, but she makes it so easy. I am lucky that our paths decided to cross. We have shared our whole lives stories with each other, perhaps too much of our stories, and we make each other laugh. It's so easy to enjoy life when you're around her, and she makes me happy. She's truly a gem, one that I treasure very much. 

Thank you to my friends; both mentioned and not mentioned. Thank you for being you and for being my friend.
I will leave you with a quote that describes friendship perfectly:

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...it has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."
--C. S. Lewis