A lot about livin and a little about love : My Besties

I've been feeling pretty down for the past 6 days, and my last two posts really show it. I dislike being so touchy-feely and having everyone know about it, so today I'll be boosting my own mood and hopefully snapping out of this "lets all be sad and lonely" disgustingness by writing about a wonderful group of girls; my besties.

From L to R:: Denisse, Brenda, Myself, & Tania. Not pictured is Sami because with two adorable boys to look after, it was pretty hard for her to take a day trip to CC.

This pic was taken at my apartment when they came to visit me for our annual christmas gift exchange, it was great having them here! We didn't really do anything out of the ordinary, but once they left I started thinking about what it really means to have friendships as old and deep as these. I came up with the following:

Old friendships mean you get to keep memories forever. Talking with these girls is way better (and much more effective) than re-reading my own journal because the same memory is retold in at least 3 different perspectives depending on who was involved. Of course, we all remember more of the good and funny than the bad, so sitting and reminiscing is always hilarious.
Old friendships allow you to have constant access to a counselor. I can't recall how many times we've all depended on a group message to relay feelings of frustration, insecurity, unhappiness, etc. to each other. Sometimes we genuinely want advice, sometimes we need a virtual shoulder to cry on, and sometimes we just want to vent. Whatever it may be, we can always count on whomever is Facebook-available to offer her thoughts, shoulders, or ears to whoever needs it. And then there's the times when we talk about why maybe it's not a good idea to text and poop at the same time.
Old friendships allow us to share in each other's joys and accomplishments. Although we don't talk to each other every day and honestly don't keep our life's status that up-to-date, there's very few people I want to share a "big deal" moment with before my besties. We all understand that we are busy living our own lives, (lives which are, for the most part, pretty different) yet I have always had that voice in the back of my mind saying "I need to tell them about this". Examples: when I decided to move to CC, when I started dating this guy, when I graduated college, when I got engaged... etc. I just really enjoy sharing good news with those I love best.
Old friendships mean you have deep foundations. I sometimes tend to use the "I need a counselor" feature as a last resort. I only go crying to them when many of my other options have been exhausted. I used to think this might be insulting... but then I asked myself: "Would I be insulted if I were a last resort?" And the answer was No. I wouldn't get my feelings hurt, because this is what it implies: If anyone uses you as a last resort, it doesn't mean they thought of you last... on the contrary; It means that you are their foundation and the one thing they can surely count on when all else fails.
Old friendships mean at least one thing in common. In high school we were all thrown together in one building with nowhere else to go, so naturally we were inseparable. Add to that the fact that teenagers have "chameleon personalities" and tend to like whatever their friends like, and you basically have 5 girls that could pass for each other without a problem. It wasn't until later that we realized just how different we really are. We lead such different lives and have such different goals, problems, views, struggles, and achievements that it's incredible we even know each other. The wonderful thing about this is that even though we've become individuals, we are a part of this friendship that is our glue to one another no matter our differences.
Old friendships mean giving birth to traditions. These girls and I only really have the two traditions of "darn it, we are DOING this gift exchange" and posing in the right order for baby shower photos (that one's only happened twice so far), but hey... these are our deal and they're not going away. So what if we only see each other once or twice a year? These get togethers are much like muffins: It's not about the quantity, it's about the quality. (that's what my 10th grade Nutrition and Food Science teacher told me). Maybe when we all have kids we can have monthly playdates or something, but for now, this is good enough for me. :)