Friends.

Last week Shane presented me with quite the scenario:

I had been kidnapped by terrorists (we had just finished watching the week's installment of 24) who said they were going to round up all of my friends and kill them (yes, he's a little extreme), but that I could select my best best friend and they would save that one person. And, if I didn't pick one person they would kill Shane as well...

Why would my husband present me with such a scenario? It all started as we were driving home from his parents' house. We were talking about something and he said, "Who is your best friend?" I immediately responded with an explanation of why each of my friends is so special and important to me and how I need each for different reasons. If you know me, you know I'm fairly skilled at avoiding situations where I must express a definite opinion on any subject (even as simple as picking a place to eat). Shane, knowing this, decided to create the above scenario. Sadly, I never actually made a decision (even with him reminding me that they were going to kill him), but the whole conversation made me think...I have been blessed with wonderful friends in my life.

I honestly don't think I could've selected one friend to be my best friend if I tried. Each of my friends is special in their own way. I have friends that know me better than I know myself, who know my preferences, how I will react in certain situations, and what I'm thinking. I have friends that when, in high school, I decided that my boyfriends were more important than them were willing to mope with me when those relationships ended. I have friends who fight with me like sisters. I have friends that I have never fought or argued with (ever). I have friends I've known almost my entire life and friends I've known for less than a year. I have friends I call when I need to be cheered up and ones I call when I just need to cry. I have friends who will eat junk food with me over Skype when I'm sad and friends who send me hand-made letters sealed with wax to let me know I'm special. I have friends who call regularly to catch up and friends who I can talk to after a year of absence and feel like we've never been apart. I have friends that were only a part of my everyday life for a few months, but I still consider friends because of the influence they had on me.

Sadly, I wonder if I'm as good a friend to them as they are to me. I hope I've been able to fill even a portion fo the role they have filled in my life. I sometimes get lost my own life and forget that there are people that I care about that may need me. Plus, I'm not the best at doing cutesy, kind things (just ask my mom about the chicken soup incident). I try and make a conscious effort, but I think I've been failing lately. So to all my friends--old, new, close, far--I love you, appreciate you, and hope you will accept this post at my first attempt to thank you for all you've done for me.