This weekend, I had an opportunity to hang out with some of my oldest and dearest friends. Time and distance may separate us, but the bonds we have shared for over twenty years make us as close today as we were back then. Thanks for a fantastic night, guys! I wish we could do it more often.
Friends are great - and I am fortunate enough to say that I have really lucked out with the group I have. I think it is about loyalty and unconditional love and respect. One of my favorite books of all time is "This Boy's Life" by Tobias Wolf. One of the first lines in the book reads - "I always know who my true friends are upon meeting them." I couldn't agree more. I have a friend who I have been friends with since I was four - she is an amazing person, dear friend, and has become a phenomenal mother. She doesn't hesitate to drop what she is doing to give a shout, shoot me a Facebook post, or just a text to say hi. I cherish that.
My friends who were over on Saturday are friends of mine since we were in grade school. I got picked on a lot when I was a kid - mostly for being incredibly effeminate - but sometimes from not going with the grain. Sure, I got good grades, dressed impeccably, and hung out with the "right" people - but there was always some douchebag who would turn my world of sunshine and lollipops into a shitshow. As I got older, became more comfortable with who I was, and began to live, I realized that these people were probably as insecure and freaked out in their own lives that they had to take it out on someone else. It is sad, really, when you think of it: how cruel we can really be to each other. The group that spent a cool summer evening in Arlington with me were the people who quietly hushed those who made my life hell. They accepted me face value - still do as a matter of fact - and my world is a better place with them in it.
As I get older, I realize how important relationships really are. We have our work relationships - the alignment of getting in with the right people to help your career. I can say that I hold these relationships in the highest esteem, as I know I wouldn't be where I am today without them. You have your love/lust relationships - sometimes they work out and the world is wonderful (like my friends Creme and Ray), and sometimes they don't. You have your family relationships - which, for me, is like a blessing I never realize until it is tested. I write a lot about my dad - some of it to grieve, some of it to keep his memory fresh. In the few months, there hasn't been a day when I don't feel my dad with me, watching out for me, helping me make the right decisions, dealing with my struggles, getting the lead out. I am so fortunate to have such a fabulous family - my best friends - always looking out for me. A lot of people I know laugh at me for spending my vacations with my mom in South Carolina. Hey, home cooking, cocktail hour, and marathons of television shows? It really doesn't get better than that.
But there is something to be said about a relationship with a good friend. Like I said, time and distance may separate us, but I have an uncanny ability to reconnect as if I just saw the person - even if it has been years. Like I said, I always know who my friends will be within a few moments of meeting them. Sometimes, the relationships are short lived, though sometimes... I just get lucky!
So I challenge anyone who reads this to reach out to someone - be it someone you haven't spoken with in some time, someone you recently had a falling out with, or someone you think is the cat's pajamas. Trust me, you will thank me. Oh... and as the eternal optimist, I want to share something with you that has changed my outlook on some things. This song may be one of my all time favorites - and I hope you all like it.
Always Love
Awe- thanks for the lovely shout out! :)
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