I Love You, My Friends

"Friends are those rare people who ask how you are and then wait to hear the answer" - Unknown

I love this quote. It seems to define me and my friendships at this point in my life. I recently moved schools, since my elementary school only went up to 6th grade. The feeling of moving on made me nervous to my core. My friends split up, spreading out to different places, with only two people continuing on to the same middle school with me.

I think a lot of kids fear not fitting in. I was at my old school for my whole life with the most accepting, warm people. The school was my second home, my friends making it as comfortable as being with family. At my new school, as months passed without being with the friends I had been with for years, new friends alleviated the stress.
Just today, a newer friend of mine asked if I could fax her something for a test, since she had left her binder at school. Recognizing that she has always been there for me, one of the first people to make me feel secure at my new school, I said, "Of course, what are friends for?" as I faxed 20 pages of notes.

What are friends for? Friends are the people in your life to whom you can tell anything and they still like you after. They catch you if you fall, when you're family isn't there. My friends take up ½ of my heart, the other ½ is for family.

Last week, when the terrible earthquake struck in Haiti, friends and family gathered as a community to push through the tragedy. But with so many people losing their loved ones as well, I realized how grateful I am to have the friends and family that I do. Just feeling lucky...

P.S. Thank you, Christina for sitting with me while I wrote this, even though it was probably boring for you. An example of a great friend.