"Good friends help you to find important things when you have lost them...your smile, your hope, and your courage." - Doe Zantamata

If you're anything like me, you need a group of close, well-rounded friends to walk through life with. I've always been an introvert, so I wouldn't say that my group of friends is by any means massive, and we're pretty low-key.

All of my friends are kind, compassionate, loving, smart, and hilarious, but there's a certain group of friends that I've had in my life so long, they are now family. That would be my friends from my home in Richmond; more specifically the friends from my church, CenterPoint. And, coincidentally, they're all older than me!

I've always been fairly mature for my age, so I've gravitated towards people that were closer to my older sister's age. Within my friend group at CenterPoint, they are all married or engaged, and a few already have children. My sister, Brittany, and I are the only two in the group that haven't gotten that far into our life plan.

Some would think I'd be upset at being one of two girls in our whole group that isn't that serious with their S.O. yet, but I look at it differently. Would I like to be at that stage in my life in order to share that with them? Yes, but I'm only nineteen and I have plenty of time for that part of my life. I'd be lying if I said having friends 6+ years older than me hasn't influenced how much I want a husband and kids, but I've got time. I do have a boyfriend, but we haven't gotten that serious yet; and none of my friends back home have met him because he's at school with me.

I will say something that's difficult when you're the "baby" of the group is drinking. Obviously, I'm underage and it'd make me feel very guilty if I were to drink before I turned 21 (partly because of the law and partly because of my morals). But I'm not going to sit there and ask them not to drink when we go out to lunch after church or we're at a birthday party for one of their kids. That just wouldn't be right. I'll be honest, it sucks that I'm the only one that can't drink. Not because I want to drink as much as possible and get trashed, but because I'm not allowed to yet and I want to try a couple drinks just to see if I'd like them.

Although, being the "baby" of the group does have it's perks. When the guys act like little kids throwing spitballs at the lunch table or snowballs outside, you have the best argument because you're the closest age to still being an actual kid! You always feel more mature because you hang out with people that, hopefully, are. And you always have people watching out for you and they know best because they've been there before.

I don't have any biological brothers, but I know that my guy friends at home have already assumed that role and they're right there when I need them. The same goes for my girls. When I left for college, they all told me that they're only a drive away whenever I need anything, and I know that they're telling the truth.

So, yes, being the youngest in your friend group can have its challenges, but having big brothers and sisters to walk through life with and let you know when and what challenges might come your way is a lifesaver.