Let's Shake Up This Routine

Timeline of your day -

Today I'm supposed to write about the timeline of my day.  But I don't feel like it and I really don't think anyone cares about the timeline of my day.  It's the same thing, every week, based on the day of the week. Super boring.  So I'm going to go against my personality and write about something different.

I was thinking the other day about how lucky I am to have met such amazing friends in the past year. I feel like the older you get the harder it is to make solid quality friends.  It's really easy to have acquaintances in the people that you work with, or the parents of your children's friends, but it's more difficult to  maintain quality friendships.

Don't get me wrong.  I have some amazing friends that I have had for a long time.  Those are the ones that you expect to keep.  My friend Lindsay and I have been more like sisters than friends since sixth grade. Mi'Cole and I have been friends since Junior year in high school. It doesn't matter how long we go between talking we can always pick up right where we left off.  I wouldn't trade those two girls for anything. They have been with me through everything.  At this point that's expected, if we stopped being there for each other after being friends for more than half of our lives that would be ridiculous.

Then there is Jaqulene, who isn't as old as the old friends but isn't as new as the new friends, and would be there for me no matter what, whenever I needed her, and the same goes. We don't get to hang out and talk as much as we used to because of life, kids and school and just crap but I love her just the same.

You don't expect that from new friendships.  As we get older and have less history it seems like it's really easy to not make new, true, friends, and really easy to have superficial relationships.

Jen and I became fast friends last year around Thanksgiving.  We had so much in common personality wise that it was scary.  I ended up hiring her to come and work for me and we became even closer.  It's really hard to spend eight to nine hours a day with someone, when it's just the two of you, and not forge a bond. On top of that we liked each other enough that we were hanging out after work too.  She moved on-site and then in June I did too.  We started taking care of each other, making meals, going grocery shopping, coffee delivery.  We became LP's (Life Partners).  It was like having a roommate without actually having to have a roommate.  We talked about everything and supported each other through some serious shit.  Last week Jen moved back to Florida.  She hasn't even been gone a week and I miss her already.  I can feel the void in the apartment across the street.  But even though she isn't here anymore I know that LP status won't change.  I know that if I called her in the middle of the night she would answer, and that if I needed something she would give it. And that goes both ways.

Then there is Veronica.  The first time Veronica and I spent time together not in a work group setting was because she offered to come and help me pack so I could move.  How many people offer to help you pack? Usually you have to beg your friends to help and this work acquaintance just volunteers to help me?  She knew I was going through a rough time and just stepped in to help.  In the past six months she has helped me move, we've gone on vacation together twice, I've helped her move and she has lived with me.  She tells me how it is without fail and as blunt as possible, which I need.  I help her work through life decisions, which she needs. She tells me when I need to calm the fuck down and I tell her not to freak out.  I was just thinking the other day how amazing it is to have a new friend that feels like an old friend. That's something you just can't take for granted.

I love each of my girls and know that without them I would not be the person I am today. In this crazy world it's necessary to have as large of a support system as possible.  I know I am extra lucky to have mine, old and new.