First friends

Thanks for the kind (and often entertaining!) comments on Tuesday's post. I enjoyed learning more about you, and as far as I'm concerned, we're all BFF!

Writing that post started me thinking about my first friends, the ones I've known since I was mere moments old. Today I want to introduce them to you.

Here I am with Baby:

I think we're watching TV. Aren't we adorable? ;-)

And here is a younger version of me with my friends Panda Bear and Mouse:

I'm not sure what that look on my face is all about...

I know: I wasn't very creative at naming things back in my childhood years, but I assure you that age has brought wisdom in that respect. My kids' names are not Boy and Girl. I call them He and She. ;-)

Regardless of their uninspired names, Baby, Panda Bear, Mouse, and I have enjoyed a friendship that has lasted all my thirty-something years. They've traveled with me from state to state and house to house, and they're among the possessions I intend to pass down to my children someday.

So tell me, who were your first friends—real or, as in my case, stuffed?

For you ♥

The past couple of days have been a little difficult for me, but you readers have been great and have cheered me up immensely. Today I want to share two videos with you to express my appreciation for your kindness. The first is about true friendship (in this case, a sweet video about tortoise helping tortoise), and the second is a touching and inspiring video about motherhood. I hope you enjoy them!






You all are the absolute best! Thank you for helping me when I was down and for all your advice about preschool graduation and motherhood. ♥

F is for F•R•I•E•N•D•S (and friends)

F•R•I•E•N•D•S has always been one of my favorite television shows. I watched it pretty regularly when it first aired on TV, and I never seem to tire of the reruns.

I think what makes F•R•I•E•N•D•S such an enduring program is the closeness between the characters and how well they know and understand each other. These aren't superficial relationships between fair-weather friends; these characters know that they can depend on each other, no matter the circumstances. They offer support and acceptance, they're trustworthy and honest, and they stick with each other in good times and bad.

Isn't this just the type of friendship we desire in our own lives? Do you have a Monica or a Chandler in your life? How about a Rachel or a Ross? A quirky Phoebe? A cute but slightly dim-witted Joey?

I've never been the kind of person to have large groups of friends, but throughout my life I have had a handful of what people usually call best friends, those who not only exhibit all the qualities I described above but share my interests as well. They're the type of people that never quit the friendship, even if circumstances--having to move away, for example--make the relationship more difficult to maintain.

I'm still in contact with my best friend from high school, even though I've moved one thousand miles away from her. We keep in touch as often as we can via phone calls, emails, and Facebook, and when we see each other each summer, it feels like we've never been apart. We look forward to the visits, but we also know that even when we're apart, we can still depend on each other for support.

Since I moved here to New York, I've made another close friend, a fellow 30-something mommy. Perhaps more than any other situation in my life, becoming a mother has made me realize just how important friends are and how much we really need people who understand where we're coming from because they're right there in the trenches with us. They can help us through bad days filled with fighting kids, unhelpful spouses, and perpetual messes, and they can share our glee over our child's potty training and bike riding triumphs.

We need friends. (And F•R•I•E•N•D•S, too, if you're like me.)

What about you? Tell me about your friends and the importance of friendship in your life.

Unexpected friendship

Today's 100 words:

Today I talked to the parents of some of my son's classmates about the birthday party we're hosting for him, and I was surprised by the enthusiastic responses I received. I've been seeing these people for months now as we've dropped our children off at preschool, yet I've never had more than superficial conversations with them. But when I finally introduced myself this morning and invited them to my son's party, I couldn't believe how friendly they were and how eager to talk. I wish I would have introduced myself earlier in the year. After all, can't we all use more friends?

Sentimentality

Today's 100 words:

When my daughter was born two years ago, my generous friend, who has two daughters of her own, gave me a ton of beautiful, hardly worn clothes, and she continues to give me clothes as her girls outgrow them. Two months ago, she gave birth to a boy, and now it's my turn to return her generosity by giving her some of my son's clothes. But when I opened one of the clothes bins and looked at the clothes, I wanted to cry: so many memories... I know I need to do this, but my sentimentality is making it hard.

Friendship

Today's 100 words:

It's sad how some friendships just end as if there was never any importance or significance to them in the first place. Yesterday I was reminded of a good friend I met in college. Beth was smart and kind, the type of person who was always there when I needed help or advice. I tried to be the same for her. However, one day--just like that, it seemed--the friendship was over: she wouldn't talk to me; she moved away when I came near... To this day, I don't understand what happened--but I know I still miss her.

I want those "Sex and the City" friends

I'm on season four of my Sex and the City marathon, and I was thinking today about how great it would be to have a group of friends who are as close as Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha. I have good friends, of course, but unlike the women on the show, I really have only one best friend, one person I know I can always confide in and turn to for honest advice. There's nothing wrong with having only one best friend, of course, and I'm very appreciative of the good friends who've been there for me in all the stages of my life. I just think sometimes that it would be nice to have an entire group of friends to rely on, have fun with, laugh with, and cry with--best friends who know they can depend on each other even when no one else is on their side.

Or maybe I just want to be a part of the Sex and the City group. I think Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, Samantha, and Dana has a nice ring to it. Don't you?