Friends

I consider myself a very lucky person in that not only am I married to my best friend, but I also have many other wonderful friends in my life. For example, I am blessed that my Brothers and their wives are not only my relatives, but also my dear friends. My mom and dad are also not only my parents but people with whom I truly enjoy spending time, and who are indeed my friends. (However, let's be clear, they were not those parents who tried to be my "friend" when I was in high school. They were always my parents first, but they did it right, and we have, for as long as I can remember, also shared a friendship). I have cousins who are also dear friends. My non-relative "best friend" has been just that since we were 5 (Well, she was 5, I was 6). We have neighbors who are friends, friends from high school and college, and colleagues who are friends. Marrying Matt has introduced me to many additional, wonderful friends that I wouldn't have otherwise known. But all of this is not to brag about how great my life is because of my friends.

Rather, recently, I have been thinking a lot about how friends change throughout life, while some stay the same. Matt and I have started to make new friends because we now have a child. We have been fortunate to meet a few couples (and their kids) lately with whom we truly click. It is much like being in kindergarten again when the idea of new friend is so exciting and invigorating. As anyone who has had a child knows, having a kid changes your life DRAMATICALLY! And finding people with whom you can share that life-changing aspect of life in an honest and open way is a rare and special thing. Finding people with whom you can share in that way, who you didn't even know a year before is even more special.

 I look at my own parents' closest friends and know that those friendshops grew out of a joint connection with their kids. It is exciting and interesting to think about how our new friends will impact our lives and Ryan's life, and the lives of any future children we have. It is also exciting to think that some of the people who will be our closest friends as we get older we may not have even met yet.

At thirty (almost 31) years old I hope that I have at least 2/3 of my life yet to live. In the first third I have met many wonderful people. I am grateful for the new people we have recently met. And I am excited at the prospect of the many unknown friends we still have yet to meet in the next two thirds of life. It is intriguing to think that many of the people who may have a great impact on my life or on the life of my child(ren) have not even entered our lives yet. And likewise, it is exciting to think that some of the people we JUST met may end up being lifelong friends. Similarly, I am eager to see how the long-term friendships I have shared for many, many years grow and develop. Like much of life with a small child, friendships are ever evolving!