The Blessing of Friends

"You meet people who forget you. You forget people you meet. But sometimes you meet those people you can't forget. Those are your friends." ~Anonymous

A main theme of my book "Gifted" is the importance of friendship and how a good friend can change our life. I have been a lucky girl blessed with some amazing friends--people who make my life better.

Some of my friends are built-in. They're members of my family--that group of people that by some grand design became a major part of my life, whether I liked it or not. Luckily I like it, even love it.

I was one of those people who balked at Facebook. I thought it was trendy, high school and not for me. But then I signed a contract for my book to be published and Facebook was forced upon me. Since then I've been able to catch up with friends I have thought of and wondered about for the past twenty-plus years.

Friday I had lunch with two girls I taught on my mission. I call them girls because at the time we became friends, I was a missionary (technically an adult, although now I realize how young I was) and they were high school students. Now our ages seem almost the same and we're in the same stages of life. They're my peers and my friends. In spite of the many years that have passed, it was comfortable and fun. I can't wait to have lunch with them again. I'm counting on it not being another twenty-five years.

It is a wonderful thing to have a connection with a friend that transcends time and distance. I hope everyone knows what I'm talking about. The kind of friendship that comes easily no matter how long it's been and no matter how different your life experiences have been, someone who is comfortable and understands you, and someone who still 'gets you' even when you're sometimes hard to 'get.' I am blessed to have friends like that. I know how lucky I am.

So to my wonderful friends, you know who you are and I want to thank you. You are blessings in my life.

Comments

Leslie said…
Amen.

love you.
Lisa said…
i have several friends like the ones you spoke of...we always just pick up where we left off. it is such a wonderful feeling to have such kindred spirits. whether they are friends or family...people can really make a difference in your life.
Scott / Lori said…
I really don't have that many friends from times gone by, I guess it comes from moving around so much at those critical ages and then not keeping in contact with the ones I did know well. I do feel very lucky to have great sisters as my friends and am lucky to count my mom as a best friend too. (I know I am lame.)