Thank You for being a Friend ...

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to be a better friend.  When writing that, I didn’t know that I would lose a friend this year.  Over a week ago, a dear friend of mine from college left this earth.  He took his own life.  It is something I will never understand, but I am choosing to find some good in this tragedy.  It was a wake up call to appreciate the people in my life more, reach out more, and never take anyone for granted.  

Friendships, relationships of any kind, take work to maintain.  Picking up the phone, sending a text, email, facebook message or gchat, and planning a get-together are all things that take just a short amount of time and make all the difference in the world.  I vow to work to enrich my friendships.  

Tell the people in your life you love them.  My mother, to this day, does not hang up the phone, say goodnight or goodbye without telling me she loves me.  If you feel it, you should say it; because you never know if you will get another chance to do so.  It is something I don’t tell my friends enough, so here it goes.  

To the loves of my life: Chloe, Katie, Bee, BethAnn, Vivian, Skylar, Mary, Lisa, Connor, Claire, Tori, Betsy, May, Farah, and Elle thank you for being there for me.  Thank you for putting up with my neuroses, chattiness, and overall drama-filled life.  Each of you bring something different into my life and without you, neither my life, nor I, would be the same.  As our friendships continue to grow and change, I truly hope that we grow together and not apart.  

Thank you for sharing your lives with me, for challenging me, for supporting me, and for making me laugh.  It is a true honor to be able to call each of you my friend.