As a child a friend is someone who lives close to you, or a cousin that's about the same age. A childhood friend could be someone you sit next to in school, or the person who has the best dessert at lunchtime. I don't mean for this to sound like the friends you make before you're 10 will not stick with you over time. Some of Justin's closest friends went to elementary school with him. As you get older a friend is someone you want to be with all the time. You call them to see what they're doing 10 minutes after leaving them at school. You can't make weekend plans without first checking with your best friend. Sleepovers are a given and secrets do not exist between the two of you.
Throughout my own life I have had several "best friends." Each friend played a significant role in my life and regardless of how the relationships developed, I am glad I was able to call them each a friend.
Now that I'm quickly approaching my 30's (*shudder*) I am realizing how blessed I am to have the friends I do. Most of those people will probably get shout-outs at some point this year, but today is about someone I just recently met - a "new" friend.
I had met this new friend briefly at work, but we really met at a wedding last year. She is the wife of one of my co-workers. We hit it off pretty quickly, and had a blast at the wedding. I will admit that I don't remember too many specifics of the night - the vodka and cranberry juice was flowing fairly freely - but I clearly recall laughing, smiling, and having a great time. The two of us spent most of the night dancing and taking pictures, and occasionally checking in with our significant others.
I now see her every week. She brings her two sons to my drop-off group at work. They are the "peer-models" for our group of children with varying degrees of disabilities. Each week they make me laugh and keep me on my toes; I love seeing their faces Thursday mornings. What's even better about having the two of them in my group is getting to see "Mom" every week. Since I started this blog she has checked-in with me a few times to see how things are going and she has commented on or 'liked' almost every post. Her caring words and actions mean so much to me.
Today I am grateful for Jess (and I guess Brandon because I wouldn't have met her without him, but don't tell him that!). I am grateful to have a new friend who is kind, caring, and a lot of fun. In the process of living a more positive life, it is important to surround yourself with positive people. Jess is a positive person that I'm lucky to have in my life.
No comments:
Post a Comment