Hey, it's me! The wealthiest girl in the world! But no, as I write this I am not simultaneously receiving a foot massage and pausing to discuss with my personal assistant when my yacht will next be cleaned while being hand-fed peeled grapes. I'm not distracted by the serious decision of whether to buy the new Ferrari or Maserati. I'm talking about the truly most valuable thing: relationships.
Memorial Day Weekend 2019 marked the great reunion between me and my hometown best friends. I shared the holiday with five of my girls as well as my parents who adore my friends and vice versa. The two hometown besties who were missing due to still being at school were dearly missed. Those two, plus the five who visited plus me make up "The Awesome Eight" as my Mom dubbed our group. I've been friends with most of these girls since before Kindergarten and I don't remember my life without them. These rockstars of friends, plus my amazing family on both sides, plus all my family friends, dance friends, other hometown and high school friends, plus college friends, plus my imaginary relationship with Ryan Gosling make me feel like the luckiest girl on Earth.
Don't get me wrong, the ultimate goal would be to trade everyone in exchange for Ryan Gosling have these relationships as well as have money because think of all the fun we could have. I'm fairly confident that we would all have a blast on a yacht together. The money would just enhance the preexisting awesomeness.
As I was waiting at my beach house for my friends to arrive, I seriously had butterflies. I know I just said ~my beach house~ but I'm truly not rich! We are renting, relax! I'm the one on the beach with the metal detector. Just kidding, I would never put my head down like that away from the sun when I could be tanning, and I don't have the work ethic for it either. Anyways, I was so excited to see each of them individually but also to all be together at once and be a part of that all around love that flows throughout this whole group. We always appreciated our time together but now that we see each other so rarely it's even more hyped up and momentous.
Yet, it never feels like time has passed and we never skip a beat. Everyone brings their unique sense of humor, and new funny stories as well as the reminiscing of old memories together. To me, it's heaven being together especially at the beach!
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude that I have these friends who make me feel so loved and special. That I have friends I am so proud of. I feel like I won the friend lottery. Yes, it's lucky that they were placed in my life but I want to acknowledge the work we have all put into water out friendship garden. I feel that out of all the seasons of the year Summer is the easiest time to slow down, reflect and appreciate the simple things. If you're reading this and wonder how I got what I have, I have a few theories. Luck was definitely part of it. I didn't make all my friends be as awesome, beautiful inside and out, smart and funny as they are. I didn't decide that they had stellar parents who raised them so well.
But I did always make an effort to get everyone together. I always looked at, and still, look at how I can be a better friend.
If we're comparing relationships to wealth, I believe that the phrase "you gotta spend money to make money" applies. You have to put in the time. We worked for this! That picture you see above is the result of over a decade of active friendship. When you first saw it, you probably thought it was just a group of models hanging out backed by an incredible sunset.
And although you're not entirely wrong, it's so much more than that.
It's the result of endless movie nights.
It's understanding who each person is and loving them for that.
It's knowing everyone's flaws and being able to joke about them together.
It's celebrating years of each individuals' accomplishments.
It's the comfort of being known so well.
It's leaning on each other for help when you know someone is great at something that isn't your strength.
It's striving to be better for someone else.
It's being inspired by each other.
It's including your friends in your family time because they are family.
It's every time we drank hot chocolate on a snow day.
It's taking that dive into the ocean together the day the water is coldest when you know you never would have done it by yourself.
So stay up until two in the morning playing "Cards Against Humanity." Remember to wish your friend good luck on their test or interview. Find friends who better you and do everything you can to keep them and try your best to better them too. Let them know you'd drop anything for them. Send them flowers and a teddy bear if they're in the hospital. Let your boyfriend know that your friends will always be a huge priority. Plan an adventure together. Always say "I love you." Tell them they're beautiful. Take pictures and selfies. Sing karaoke together. Send them snail mail. Give them thoughtful gifts. Tell them that they're smart, but be silly together too!
In short, always put in the time, always pick up the phone. You will have a return on your investment.
