Friends

I have probably said 1000 times here how I have the best friends in all of the universe. Some live just a block away, and others are all across the country. Some I've know since before I could walk and others I've never met in person before. Some are women, others are men, and their ages range pretty dramatically.

I've never been one to have too many close girl friends. I had my close circle (3) in highschool and my other closest friends were guys. I've always had a hard time dealing with the drama that unfortunately accompanies most female personalities. Needless to say, I've chosen my girlfriends very carefully. If you consider yourself one of my close friends (you'll know who you are), just know that you passed a very rigorous test. ;)

It's one of the great perks of blogging and communicating with an online society - if they drive you crazy you just get to delete them from your reader!! I get to be picky with who I communicate with and have found so many awesome women that I may not have met otherwise!

Jeremy and I had an entire conversation about this last night when we were on our way to meet up with some friends. Another friend of ours is pretty newly single. He's starting to date again and sweet baby Jesus in a manger has he already met some serious crazies. Like, multiple cats, couldn't see her floors, car filled with junk, lets get serious on the first date kind of crazy. I feel for him and do not envy his situation. His searching for a mate has had one excellent side affect for me - J is extremely appreciative of me and our relationship. It has been an excellent, and constant, reminder that he hit the jackpot! (Modesty is clearly one of my finer traits.)

Back to last nights conversation. He said that he knew very early on that I was the girl for him because of the people I chose to affiliate with. Three of my closest friends in the world were guys. That can be nerve-wracking to a new boyfriend. It's like he had to meet my three big brothers. But after that initial anxiety he quickly saw that I could hang with the fellas without being one of them. I wasn't scratching myself in sweatpants, but could follow a sporting event. I could also take crap as easily as I could deal it out. His words - "You weren't crazy, over emotional, and too sensitive."

All of this to say, it really made me feel good to hear him affirm that 10 years later he still loves and appreciates these things about me. That even with all that we've been through he doesn't find me crazy, over-emotional (clearly love is BLIND! lol), and too sensitive. That our relationship is strong enough for him to hear me hug one of my best friends on his birthday, tell him that I love him, and not bat an eye. Shoot, more than likely J would jump on us and say, "I love you too, man!"

My friends have succeeded in not just being there for me, cheering on from the sidelines, but have helped to make my relationship even stronger. They're our family. They know us better than anyone and love us despite our faults.

So, when I say I have the best friends in the universe, I know it to be fact. And I'm okay if you need to take a moment to be jealous. I don't often get to have that experience. ;)