Friends...

Friends. We have them all our lives, and yet what they mean changes so much over time.


When you're little, they are people who are your parents friend's children; people who you see a lot, people who you play contentedly alongside, people who will play your games and giggle alongside you...

When you hit school, suddenly your friendships become your own. You are friends with the people in your class, with the ones who like playing the same games in the playground, and the ones who will be your pair when you go on a school trip. They are people with whom you will make memories with that you will still recall together when your old and grey...

By the time you hit secondary school, your friendships will be with those who think similarly to you, have a similar work ethic (or lack of work ethic!) to you; perhaps enjoy the same subjects, or have the same interests...

And then you hit university, and actually, you realise you can be friends with people who think very differently to you... come from a different background and have a different education, a different upbringing, different beliefs... and all those things sharpen you, and help you grow and learn.

And then you grow up, and get hit by a bombshell... that unexpected thing that you never dreamed would happen to your family...

and your friends are right there. Praying for you. Visiting you in hospital. Holding your hand. Looking after you. Writing you cards. Calling you up. Cooking for you. Texting you. Being there.

Just being there.

I am so grateful for my friends. I have learnt, this past year, to cherish my friendships a bit more... and though I'm still rubbish at replying to text messages, and terrible at answering my phone, I am so grateful to God for the gift of friendship, and for a number of lovely ladies who have been SUCH good friends to me these past couple of years.

We went to a wedding on Saturday and I got some pictures with some of my lovely friends.

They, amongst others, are girls who have been wonderful friends to me. And I love them dearly. With them I can be real. And honest. They'll tell me when I'm being an idiot, they'll listen to me when I'm finding stuff hard, and they'll encourage me when I need that little bit of support... and of course, they'll be silly with me too...

Love you girls, and grateful to God for you (and my other lovely friends too who aren't in these particular pictures!) xx