Friendship

I am more and more grateful for my friends every single day. I make friends pretty easily, but only the superficial sort. Julie laughs at me because I can (and will) start conversations with anyone, just about anywhere. But that's all they are really, just superficial conversations.

My true friends, the ones that I really share with, are much fewer, and they're very precious. I tend to guard those friendships quite jealously. But in the past year Carla and Brenda have taught me how to have more openness between friends, and I'm thankful for that.

I can count my true friends on one hand, excepting Skeeter, since he's in a class by himself.

Brenda makes me laugh more than just about anyone. Sometimes she can make the most simple thing seem roaringly funny. She's so down-to-earth, and I love that about her.

Carla is probably the sweetest person I know. That sounds so banal, but it's true. She's so genuinely caring, and I love spending time with her because I always feel that her gentle nature rubs off on me just a bit.

Julie is the one that I always call "the sister of my heart." On the surface, we're a study in opposites, but I'm always slightly surprised to find that at heart we're quite similar. I look up to her as well, since she so Together and Unruffled. That's so not me, but I wish it was.

Michael is my second-oldest friend. We've been friends since we were 11 or 12, and we've been "best friends" since we were about 15. Michael and I call each other brother and sister, and that's really how it feels -- as if we've known each other forever and we belong. Our lives don't mesh at all -- I'm married with little ones, and he's living the bachelor life -- but it doesn't really matter.

Michael Ann is my oldest friend. We grew up in church together, and we've been friends since we were about 6. We have so much history together that we can go without really, truly talking for months and then pick up where we are with no effort at all.

So that's it. My one hand of true friends. I did the list as alphabetical since that seemed most logical, but I'm slightly amused to discover that the alphabetical list is also in order from newest to oldest in my life.