14. FRIENDS

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." ~ Anais Nin

What can I say? My life would be empty without friends, without those people in my life that I can count on without hesitation, that I can laugh and cry with, and talk with for hours. Those special friends who just make you smile when you see their name on your caller ID or email because just hearing from them can turn your day around if you're not having a particularly good one. It is those friends who just call to check in, to relate a funny story, and are genuinely interested in what's going on in my little corner of the universe that mean so much to me . . . those people who truly complete me as a person and add another beautiful and interesting dimension to my life.

One of my greatest blessings today is the wealth of friendships I've nurtured over the years, they are priceless. I believe every person has a story, we learn so much from the people around us, and one can never have TOO many friends. I have, what Chris considers to be a major social disease, of meeting new friends wherever I find myself - the club, the gym, pre-school, tennis, kindermusik, the kids' lessons, the blogosphere, airplanes . . . really, WHEREVER. For example, just tonight at Caroline's tennis tournament I ran into two old friends and met a new one (her name is Gwen, from Park City - just moved here two months ago from California and now we're going skiing next month - lol!).

I've loved reconnecting with old friends these past few months, especially those I knew years ago from Jr. High and High School. Many were merely acquaintances that I passed in the hall each day, offered a friendly "hello" and a wave, knew who they were dating, and maybe a little of the associated drama, and that was about it. But, NOW, connecting with these friends again has been such an experience - I've been fascinated to hear what's happened to each person since we graduated almost 20 years ago; I'm thrilled by their families and successes, happy to see where they are today, and heartbroken after learning about their struggles. I've truly felt such a connection with these friends who really did play such an important role in my adolescent years, it's been remarkable.

Life gets busy, but reach out every day to someone, meet a new friend, reconnect with an old one, send a note or make that phone call to keep those relationships strong . . . you'll be glad you did and your life will be blessed for the effort!