Friends

"A friend loves at all times" Proverbs 17:17

A true friend loves you for you. Not what you could be or should be, but for you.
A true friend laughs with you for no reason at all.
A true friend knows your thoughts just by the look on your face.
A true friend tells you how it is but also knows when to keep their mouths shut.
A true friend listens to you rant and vent without trying to fix the problem.
A true friend understands that your family is crazy but loves them just the same because they are family.
A true friend knows your secret wants, dreams and wishes and is your biggest cheerleader as you strive to achieve them.

I have been blessed that I was able to spend my whole childhood, teenage years and early adulthood in the same house, city and church. My parents moved into my childhood home when I was 2 1/2 and still live there today. I never had to move and make new friends until my husband and I moved cross country. I grew up with a great bunch of friends that I spent most of my crazy teenage years with and survived. We had our fair share of fights, boys, and life thrown at us, but we weathered the storms together.

Most of you would say I have a lot of "friends" that I keep in touch with even today, but in reality, I have really two strong friendships that I treasure besides my husband. A lot of the people I hung out with are friends and don't get me wrong, I love them all dearly, but when push comes to shove I know I have two people I can count on. They are SJ and Rae.

SJ has been my best bud forever. She is practically a sister to me. We think we met in the 1st grade or so, but we can't really pin point the exact time we became friends. We just have always been by each others sides. When I look through photo albums of my life she is there at almost every important event. Proms, dances, boyfriends, graduations, illness, deaths, marriages...she was there. She was the wild-n-crazy gal while I tended to be quiet and reserved. She brought out the wild side in me when we were together. If she did it then I would try it. She was fashion forward while I was fashion challenged. She was constantly helping me try and update my looks, become more girly, wear makeup and relax. She is confident, loving and is sassy!

She moved away shortly after graduation to AZ. She was pursuing a degree at a university there, but when she came home, we always got together. Whether at Denny's for a BLT with french fries and lots of ketchup or her mom's house to watch movies. She met and married a great guy and now lives in WA. They have a daughter who is almost 3 and reminds me so much of SJ when I see her in pictures. We may go months without talking to each other, but we get on the phone it is like time has never passed. We just talk and talk.

My other true friend is Rae. I met Rae in high school. She hung with a different group of friends but we all did things together. She and I become really close after high school when we worked with Jr. Highers on Sunday mornings at church. She and I took some in coming 6th graders and helped them make the transition into middle school/Jr. High a little easier. Rae is quieter than me, but can be a pit bull if needed. She doesn't have a temper but when I person needs help she will fight for them. Rae is loyal, true to her word and has a heart that is bigger than Texas.

She moved away to go to school in IN. Why she thinks she was getting/running away from everything that was chasing her in San Diego, God had other plans. God shook her up in IN and she has never been the same since. Rae married a great guy and they have 3 children and are expecting another. Where do they live...still in IN! She thought she would get away from IN but God is doing some miraculous things in here life there.

Rae and I talk to each other about every three months and when we talk it makes me thankful for her in my life. She was my sounding board about everything recently. She was my biggest cheerleader when we moved out here and has continually supported me with prayer and encouragement when we have faced challenges. I know that when something goes down, I can call her and she will stop what she is doing and talk.

As I was on the phone with Rae last night just to wish her Happy Birthday and to catch up, I began the thank God for my friends. I know a lot of people who care about me, who laugh with me and will cry with me, but there is something special about a true friend who just gets you! The real you - battered and broken, goofy and embarrassing, mom of the year and the mom who drops the balls she is trying to keep up in the air. They are the ones who will love you when you are at your best and when you are your worst, who loves you despite the extra weight you have put on since high school and the one who knows the true beauty is your heart not your thighs and butt.

I know God has put every friend in my life for a reason. As I struggle to really make friends now as an adult, I know that God has blessed me with friends "who knew me when". They are only a phone call or email away, but I do miss the face to face. I know that if I need them they will be here. I am thankful for what they have made me to be and what they continually challenge me to be.

Thank you God for my friends both near and far.