Friend-face

I talk about my friends a lot. I'm well aware of this. But the week of and weekend after Thanksgiving made me realize just how lucky I am. I spent time with some of my best friends from college, my best friends from high school, and friends that we have all picked up along the way.

Seeing friends from high school wasn't like a blast from the past - it was like picking up where we left off. One friend even brought up a night that I had completely forgotten about during which we drank apparently way too much Southern Comfort. I didn't remember that part, only crying drunkenly on the floor because my boyfriend of 3 weeks wouldn't tell me he loved me. Guess what? Said boyfriend broke up with me on Valentine's Day so he could go smoke weed with his best friend, so I think I really lost in the I love you war.

But seriously, seeing these friends, being able to spend time with them even when we were cheering for opposing football teams, is what this time of year should be about. We reminisced, we talked about life, work, friends, boyfriends and lack thereof, family, and the future. We encouraged each other, we supported each other, we listened, and when the day was over, we went our separate ways. But that's okay, because I know I'll see them again, and again, and again, for the rest of my life, because they're that kind of friend. The kind that you have forever.

Some of the friends I saw last week, I probably won't see again for a really long time, and others I'll see on Friday night, but the best part of these friends is that it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter that I see my best friend from high school maybe once a year, because it's like nothing ever changed, and my mom still says, "Kate, have you been hanging out with Sydney again?" I'm not sure if it's the increased level of silliness or the addition of "-face" to every noun that tips her off, but either way, she knows. And I like it, because it just reminds me that she is my best friend, and she always will be.

I'm one of the lucky ones. While I was writing this, I kept having to erase the word "best friend" because I have so many of them. I have my best friend from high school, and my best friends from college, and my best friend from my best friend from high school's college and my best friend from here and there. And none of them are any less best friend-ly than the others.

Friends are the one thing in the world that I couldn't live without. I've turned to my friends and depended on them when I really thought I couldn't depend on anyone, and they've supported me. Don't get me wrong, they've let me down too, but 9 times out of 10 it was really me just letting myself down and blaming someone else. My friends aren't perfect and neither am I, but seriously, I hope I never complain about not having friends again, because the ones I've got are pretty damn awesome.