My friends know too much.

It’s Thursday, Mamas and Papas.  You know what that means: another post about the things for which I am thankful.  Today, I’d like to tell you about my friends.  I have a lot to be thankful for, but they are right at the top of a really long list.  I have Florida friends, and I have Kentucky friends.  The difference is that the friends in Florida have known me pretty much my whole life.  Some I met in church as a baby, some I met in elementary school, and others in middle and high school.  Then there are the Kentucky folks whom I’ve only known for a few years, but it feels like forever.

My Florida friends are a rare crew, indeed.  We have known each other so long that no matter how much time has passed between visits or catching up on Facebook, we pick up right where we left off.  When I lived in Florida, I had a few I stayed in contact with and occasionally, I was able to sneak away from my kids to hang out with them.  I was (and still am) able to call them or email them and just chat about anything and everything.  When my family moved to Kentucky, I thought I would lose contact with them, but that wasn’t the case.  Thanks to Facebook and email, I’m able to stay caught up on most of what goes on in their lives, and they in mine.  We started this little tradition the first year I was living in Kentucky where when I go home to Florida we have a big party.  Everyone is invited, but usually the same crew shows up every year.  It’s so much fun!  We have a big bonfire (weather permitting) and a few adult beverages, lots of food, and even more laughs.  These people are my family.  I love each and every one of them.  Mostly they are people I went to school with; band nerds, if you will.  The bonds we formed in band have kept us all relatively close.  We just hang out and get caught up on what’s been going on in our lives the last year or so.  Husbands and wives, and even all of our kids are always invited, and we always have so much fun.

So here’s the thing about some of my Florida friends: at the worst and best possible moments of my life, they have always been there.  When my mom died, Caroline came home from her post in Korea to be with me.  Renee was my roommate at the time, and she let me cry when I needed to.  When my son was in the hospital many times, Amy would bring us dinner.  When I was getting married, they each were bridesmaids.  When I was pregnant both times, they were at each of my showers.  You see, they’ve always been there and always will be.  As I will always be for them.  These are the people who know too much about me.  Seriously, they could write a book about the crazy stuff I’ve done and said.  Ok, maybe it’s stupid stuff.  Either way, it would fill a novel.  Like the time Caroline and I walked the road next to her house late at night and jumped up out of the ditches at cars that were driving past.  Not our brightest moment.  Or the time I got married to a man I barely knew when we were way too young to have done so…and they were there for the inevitable divorce.

Now, in Kentucky, I am blessed with even more friends.  It was hard to make friends at first, since I hadn’t had to do it for years.  I was rusty at it.  But, I found a wonderful group of ladies here and they make me laugh so hard.  They are all loving, and caring.  They love my kids and I love theirs.  I am so blessed to call them my friends.  They are my framily…you know, the friends who are your family (I stole that from a friend of mine, and fellow modified mama-thanks Krista!).  The funny thing is, they are a mish-mash of friends.  What I mean is some are fellow Modified Mamas.  I met them through our kids’ Miracle League Baseball team.  The other part of the group I met through Riley’s dance class.  All of our daughters are in the same class and we try to make that happen every year.  And one of my most special friends is a neighbor, and fellow Modified Mama.  These women can all get together and hang out.  I love that about us!

Each of my friends has something special.  Whether it’s their smile, infectious laughter (Caroline), outspoken sassiness (Karen, you know that’s you, Love!), sarcasm so dry you aren’t quite sure you heard it right (Kristy and Renee!), quick wit (Nicole), a loving heart; whatever it is, you got it.  And it makes me love you even more.  So, thank you, my dear friends, for throwing me a life line when I need it, for hugging me, and loving me like you do.  Thank you for accepting me for who I am and not expecting me to change to suit your needs.  And thank you for loving my family like your own.  I am so blessed.  I hope that I’ve provided some of the same to each of you.