My best friends aren't bloggers but they all have their own set of skills and they all add a little sparkle to an ordinary life. There are many I could write about who have added to my life over the years but I just want to tell you about my oldest friends, the people who got me here today.
My best friend of 8 years is a whizz with a camera, he records videos and has the editing skills I can only dream of, he has his own business and I admire him for keeping at it and doing his own thing no matter what. There have been times where we've grown apart but we always fall back together somehow, his kindness and strength through everything he's gone through only make me all the more proud of the man he has become, I can't wait to begin another year with him by my side.
I have a small handful of female friends I've known for years, each with their own things going on these days but I love them all the same, we don't find much time to catch up anymore but it's like we've never been apart when we do, that's real friendship.
One girl has a young daughter (who I can't wait to see what she thinks of her Christmas present), she's a great Mom, an independent woman and she's always by my side. We talk most days and have the stupidest conversations at times but we are there for each other in the tough times and the good. She loves a glass of wine (or a bottle) and we stay up late putting the world to rights in my little flat and it truly feels like home when you have the memories of a good friend here. We didn't always see eye to eye, we still don't always but honesty is one thing our friendship stands strong on, even if we disagree we are always honest with each other and that's what I love.
Another it feels like she's a hundred miles away sometimes (and when she's off jet setting she is!), we don't talk every day, maybe once a month but when we do get together nothing has changed. I miss her very much but we are adults with our own lives. I'm really proud of her for all she's achieved and it makes me happy to know she's happy. I can't wait until we next meet up and I can hear all about New York.
Finally there's the girl I used to go out with every weekend, the one who I've fought with more than most, the one who has changed and grown so much over the years. We don't agree on much, all the odds say we wouldn't have been friends because we're totally different but I think that's why it works. She's been with me since we were really young like the girls above, we've had adventures in Wales, Scotland and even exploring Birmingham and I wouldn't be who I am today without her.
The truth is I wouldn't be who I am without any of these people, they may not be in my life forever though I hope they will be but I can look back over the last few years and I smile because of them, I laugh because we were stupid teenagers together, I look forward to the future and what it has in store for us all and ultimately I'm so proud of them, all of them. I look forward to the new year with them and a Christmas of fun and them knowing just how much I appreciate them.
Treasure your friends, they're the family you choose.
And my family? They're the friends I needed most and sometimes wanted least in my teenage years, but now I appreciate them more than they will ever know. I'm humbled by the people in my life, they keep me grounded when I'm having the best days and the worst.
(There are no photographs in this post as I wanted permission from friends first!)
Merry 11th December!