"omg, my bff ___!"

Oh.. friends. They are the people I run to, the arms I fall into & the smiles I find comfort in. Two years of Preschool, four years of Elementary School, two years of Intermediate school, two years of middle school, and three years (and counting) of Highschool.. and here I am. I've made friends, changed friends, gained friends and lost them throughout the years. I've found my place- my "crowd", only to have it rearrange, regroup or dissolve. Seventh grade was the year where the word "Friends" itself started taking MAJOR weight in my life. Everyone had their "bestestestfriend", while some people couldn't keep the same bestfriend for more than a week. I found friendship with people from my youthgroup, from elementary school, and some totally new, exciting friendships. Sometimes I look back at the hundreds of pictures from middle school.. documenting sleepovers, dances, dinner parties and pep rallies. These pictures hold memories that are forever.. and they are filled with faces that I miss. Faces that have chosen a path completely different than mine.. along with faces that I still spend all of my Friday and Saturday nights with.

I found my bestfriend in the sixth grade- whether I realized it then or not. He became my brother, my confidant and my secret keeper. I praise God for blessing our friendship over, and over again.. even when SO many miles separate us. God gave me the sister I never had in 4k. We bonded right away all of those years ago, and then found each other again in ninth grade. Both of us had been let down by our "friends", and we were praying for TRUE friendship- thankfully, we found it in each other! Sometimes, especially recently, we end up spending Friday night pouring our hearts out to each other over a big mac & a chick flick- and sometimes another sister joins us. I'll call this darling.. ST. I'll introduce you to ST- she is another lovely friend.. someone who I can always count on. Someone true. Someone that will sit and listen to me and then meet me half-way with honest, loving advice. In the tenth grade, I lost two friendships- we drifted apart, went in different directions. Thankfully, God's plan is SO MUCH bigger than anything I can fathom.. and I was brought back to them BOTH in His time. Praise God. He has blessed me with lovely bestfriends, along with darling friends- I am so thankful.

After all of the drama, the tears, the laughs, the sleepovers, the arguments, the adventures.. I am okay. I've come out of all of the typical "highschool experience" with a handful of friends that mean the WORLD to me. I may not have fifty close friends, but I have a few that I am certain I will have forever.