Friends!

I have been blessed with some wonderful friendships! Some I've had since childhood. Some I've only recently met but they quickly became a kindred spirit!

Despite these wonderful people in my life, I sometimes look at other friendship circles and feel... lacking. I'll look at their close-knit little group and think it's better than my group. There are any number of reasons why I might feel this way on any given day.

I think I've always wanted to be a part of the gang from the T.V. show "Friends." I want all of my friends to also be friends with each other. I want all of us to be young and hip, to have everything in common, and to live near each other too!

That's not how it's been for me. My friends are of every age. They live all over the globe (now - they didn't when we met). We're not all "cool" or "hip" or "fashionable." We wouldn't make a very good T.V. show!! Some of my friends I actually have very little in common with. We don't see eye to eye on many things. Many of my friends are actually quite different from me! Most of my friends don't know or don't hang out with the other friends in my life.

As I stated above, this can leave me feeling sad. Like somehow my "posse" isn't as good, not as valuable.

But when I really think about it, it's this diversity that I love and cherish! It's what has helped me grow. It forces me to look outside myself and understand and even appreciate different view points, ways of life, etc. It's helped make me who I am!

I'm so, so thankful for my friends!!!!