Friends come and go as you grow through your lifetime.
Many of us have different friends in our lives over the years. Some friends we make as children and then lose contact as we grow older. Other friends we make as adults and stay in touch with as long as we are in close proximity to and it is convenient to keep in touch but then over time one moves away or busy schedules slowly pull us apart and we start to lose touch. Those friendships fall into the “good friends” or “close friends”.
But then there is that last group of friends – those we call true friends – they are those we have a mutual caring about, and we understand each other’s hearts, and where bonds are formed between us that span any distance in proximity and where the bonds run so deep that no amount of time apart or lack of words will change the way we feel about that friend. These are our true friends, and when one comes into your life… cherish it! I consider myself extremely fortunate to have multiple groups of true friends, and they’ve stuck through the years. I have a childhood/high school circle, a college/sorority sisters circle, and an adult life/Austin circle.
These are individuals who saw me through tough times and who always saw the best in me despite any of my shortcomings. They picked me up at times I was down. They stood by me when I felt alone. They taught me things about life and about myself with patience and understanding. They forgave at times when I was grumpy or obstinate. They loved me without judgment and without expectations. They gave me hugs, even at times that I may not have deserved one.
We’ve been through and supported each other through illnesses, loss of loved ones, and personal turmoils. These true friends were individuals who were there for me…maybe not always in person or in word every time, but always in heart…and knowing that helped me through incredible challenges throughout the years. True friends just do that – they help us grow and change for the better. They support us in good times and bad. They can make us laugh when all we want to do is cry. And no matter how far apart time and distance may cause us to grow from one another, and even if death takes one of them from this world to the next, we always have the comfort of knowing that these true friends are still there for us, even if only in spirit, cheering us on and wishing us the best, because that is what true friends do for each other.
I visit Ohio once a year and get to connect with the girls who are part of my formative years. We reminisce and laugh uncontrollably but we also share about who we are now as adults, moms, wives, business owners, etc.
I am one of a group of 8 women that have made a pact to get together at least once a year. My college sorority sisters and I have either hosted these weekends at our homes or done destination trips like Nashville, Sonoma, and this weekend Florida!
We travel from all over the country: Ohio, Illinios, Texas, Virginia, and Florida to see each other. Over the last couple of years I’ve also reconnected with so many other beautiful friends from college that I love so dearly and it fills my soul!
Finally, I have my tribe of friends here in Austin. We were all part of a medical professionals networking group years ago and we formed a bond that is unbreakable. We are living life together and we support and lift up each other through it all. We celebrate every birthday, Christmas, and “just because” together, and it never gets old.
When someone is genuinely your true friend they leave an impression on your heart that will never go away…not with time and not with distance. True friends secure a place in your heart forever, and I am forever grateful for the true friends in my life.
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