On friendship

I have definitely fallen way behind on my 2014 goal of writing regular/weekly blog posts. Sometimes work and life get in the way of sitting down and writing down things. Especially positive things. I want this blog to be a place where I share and talk about things I like/love/am enjoying, not necessarily a place to vent my inner crazy and air my frustrations. Although I've started about a dozen posts in the past couple of weeks, I have only gotten around to finishing one, and I really want to make an effort to get back on the writing wagon.

Because of stress/inner crazy/frustrations, and after a lovely little birthday visit with my parents, I've been taking stock of the important people in my life. The people I can call/email/text with a stream of consciousness rant, and they will listen. The people who can talk me off a metaphorical ledge. My nearest and dearest. The people who mean the most to me, but also the people I'm hardest on. My family. Many of them aren't blood relations, but we've imprinted on each other, and wherever life leads us, we always circle back together.

I am naturally an introvert, and have never had a very easy time making friends. I've never really been someone with a large social circle. But I've been really lucky that despite my sub-par social skills and hermit tendencies, I've managed to make some really good friends over the years. Friends who have helped me move, who have taken me to the hospital, who have traveled with me, and have provided free therapy. I'd like to think they stick around because it hasn't been all one-sided - I've also helped out during moves, pet-sat, visited hospitals, and sat up all night providing a shoulder to cry on. (Let me tell you, I'm pretty sure having to help one of my BFFs go to the bathroom after she had a surgical procedure made us sisters for life.) I'm not sure what stroke of luck brought these people into my life, but I am thankful they have chosen to stick around.

There have been friends who I have lost touch with over the years, and I often think of them. Some I drifted away from, some drifted away from me, and some just seemed to have fizzled. Living thousands of miles apart doesn't help to nurture a friendship, and sometimes, as you grow up, you grow apart. But even if you don't stay friends, you remember the time back when you were.

Maya Angelou passed away recently, and there were all kinds of tributes going around, with many posts of some of her more famous quotes. The one I chose, along with what seemed like thousands of other people, was "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." I chose it because I agree with the sentiment - my nearest and dearest are the people who make me feel my best, who make me feel important and cared for, and I am incredibly thankful for that. I hope they feel the same way.