Friends

     I think that my upcoming move has made me really think about my friendships over the years.  I have been so lucky that I have had some great friends that have had so much impact on my life.  From my friends in junior high to my "adult friends", I have been so very blessed.  Through the internet, I have reconnected to many people from my past.  I love that I have spent time with old (and I mean middle aged) college friends.  We are much calmer, no shots or panty raids, but we can still talk for hours.  My best friend from junior high is now a grandma.  Back in the day, I couldn't picture either one of us as moms, let alone grandmas!

     Chy and Jan were my best friends in high school.  I don't see or talk to either one of them often, but when I do, it's like time has stood still.  They were my friends, but they were also family.  They had families that included me in their lives.  Jan's dad taught me to drive and let me learn to parallel park on his farm.  Chy's parents took me out for my first legal drink on my 21st birthday.  The three of us got into lots of trouble back in the day, but we always had fun! 

     I had a great group of friends in college, but life happened and I lost touch with most of them until recently.  "Mrs.Haney" and I always managed to stay in touch.  I think that it was due to her more than me, but I am glad that she did.  She is my "go-to" person when I need a shoulder.  She has meetings in town often, so we try to get together when we can.  She never judges and is always supportive.  She is one of those people who always seems to have everything together.  I wish that I were more like that in many ways.  I think that I need a road trip before I move even farther away from her. 

     I have a "gang" as well, the Chicks.  The four of us used to work at the same store.  I can't remember how we started hanging out, but we bonded.  We all have matching chick tattoos on our ankles, our children are "chicklettes", our men are "chick guys".  We have been through marriages, divorces, births, deaths, and cancer together.  We are scattered, but it only takes a phone call for us to come together.  That's what families do and we are family.

     Through a local mom site, I have a group of "mom" friends.  Without these women, I would have no social life.  I found my church home, The Promise, because of a friendship that developed on the site.  Delainey's daycare provider and I have become friends on line and in real life.  I have a group of moms that are young moms (most of them are 30 or younger), but they have children the same age as Delainey.  I tease them about hanging out with a middle age mom like me.  I have a group of middle age moms that I meet with monthly.  They don't all like the term middle age, but since we are all over 40 now, it fits.

     My friendships sustain me in so many ways.  They give me courage and strength.  They support me and encourage me.  Looking back, the times that I didn't invest time in my friendships, were the times that I was truly unhappy.  I can't be a good wife or mother when I don't take time for me.  Part of taking time for me is spending time with my friends.  With this move, I will need to make an effort to be a good friend and reach out to make new friends.