Our morning view from our front porch.
I am a very blessed woman to have the close friends I have.
I don't actually have a best friend. In fact, the last time I can say I had a best friend was in high school and then she shunned me because of my teen pregnancy. I just never had the inclination to have or work towards another best friend -- other than my husband.
Most of us have several circles of friends, right? Here's how I make up my circles:
My inner circle - those I consider to be the closest to me - are the ones I confide in, I trust with my inner most thoughts, I respect, I support and they show support in return (no matter what), we share loyalty, I have know them for a long time, and we have fun together. We have a lot in common, but we don't let our differences cloud up our friendship. We can be each other's shoulder, but we know when space should be allowed. We understand that tag line, "What happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas."
My middle circle is where most of my friends live. It's made up of people with whom I enjoy spending time, We share some commonalities. I feel a certain level of trust, we laugh and have fun together, and they listen when I need to talk and vice verse.
My outer circle is primarily folks with whom I am getting to know. We haven't had that special opportunity to learn if they can really be trusted, but I enjoy hanging around with them and having fun. More than likely, we have several things in common.
I have an incredible inner circle of friends, yet they are all very different. Some are thin, some not so much. Some are educated, some are not. We are of varying backgrounds when it comes to how we were raised. We don't all agree on political or even religious views. Some have grandchildren and some don't. Some are retired and others are not, while some are financially set for life and others will work forever.
When it comes to my dear friends with whom my husband and I just shared an incredible weekend, what joins us together far outweighs what could divide us. While our political views are at opposite ends of the spectrum, we each respect that living in this great nation gives us the freedom to agree to disagree. None of the four of us are religious, but we are - all four - very spiritual. We raised our children with love and the hope that their lives would be better than ours, but we wonder if we went too far in providing them with their every want - each in our own way. We are nowhere near each other on the financial ladder, but we all share a deep respect for each hard-earned dollar in our pockets. We've shared the responsibility of caring for our parents, and we've each had to let go of loved ones. We laugh about our differing opinions of what the definition of camping is, and we tease about the things we each consider to be fun activities.
This past weekend, I realized (again) that as life gets shorter, it becomes more and more important to surround yourself with those you love, respect, trust and just simply enjoy being around. There's almost nothing more rewarding in life than close relationships, be it with a spouse, children, family members, or friends. One of the things that all of the most cherished and satisfying relationships have in common is memories. The four of us created new and lasting memories these past four days, and my husband and I are forever grateful.
I thought about you a lot this weekend while in the Keys, Daddy. I'm sure I even crossed some of your ocean paths. I love and miss you.
