Friends

Every now & again I take a few moments to reflect on my life & the people in it; Sunday was one of those days.
I was talking with a friend who just relocated and completely remembered how lost I felt when I moved from NY to FL. I soo didn't expect that to happen in fact prior to the move when people asked me if I was nervous my response was consistently "I am an outgoing person, I'm sure it won't be a problem for me." Boy was I wrong. It was soo hard to start over building friendships in my 30's. When we are kids we choose friends by playground rules but as adults so much more goes into friendship. Whether we want to admit it or not we incorporate appearances, social status, economic status into our decision making process. I think we really are drawn toward people similar to ourselves b/c it brings a sense of comfort, a feeling of unity if you will. Now before you freak out let me explain that I have friends of all shapes, sizes, persuasions, etc - they are a diverse group & I know that within that group there are some who would label others "not their cup of tea." So I got to thinking about which friends I feel most comfortable with & why.
My best friend Pam is a down to earth, never a harsh word about anyone, honest, kind-hearted soul who I love dearly. We have the type of friendship where we can go months without talking to one another (she lives in NY) & then pick up as if we saw each other yesterday. I never feel out of place in her presence.
My friend Lisa (also in NY) is a bit of a looney but again she has a heart of gold and understands what is it to be a true friend. We talk often & never skip a beat. We know each others secrets & fears but most importantly we have each other's back.
Now here in my new life I have some friends that make people wonder. They can be so superficial at times so much so that I have left their home feeling bad about myself - YUCK! So frustrating but when they allow themselves to live in the moment & NOT for someone else they are fantastic.
Then there are two of my newest friends, Holly & Flash who I just think are beautiful. They remind me of home & for that I adore them. It hit me one day when I was watching their children & had to go to the junk drawer for some tape. I stepped back & laughed out loud because I LOVE that they have a junk drawer. I Love a junk drawer! I Love my junk drawer! It is not so much the stuff in it but rather the honesty involved in both having & admitting to a junk drawer. It is like declaring to the world "hey I have some crap, I'm not perfect & you know what that crap comes in handy from time to time - maybe even helped me "McGyver" my way out of a sticky situation." It is being comfortable in your skin & not afraid to show it that I dig.

So to all my friends - I Love Ya'!