Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.
~Woodrow Wilson
20 years ago I was learning how to make friends, so everyone who showed any interest in Nina-Turtles, My Little Ponies, climbing pine trees or hopscotch was instantly a BEST friend for life! As a 5 year old, that worked.
15 years ago things got more complicated... crushes on silly boys and not wanting to dress the exact same as each other on the first Wednesday of the month were enough to tear apart those "lifelong alliances". As a 10 year old, that worked.
10 years ago high school threw a curve ball and I started to realize not just what I wanted in a friend, but what kind of friend I wanted to be. My circle got smaller, much smaller... but still consisted of some stereo-types "is this person COOL enough to be my friend?" or some other petty nonsense, but as a 15 year old, that worked.
5 years ago high school and many of the friendships made had all ended. I was 20 and focused on school, paying bills, dating etc. and didn't actually put much effort into friendships at all. I had one or two friends that were very close and then a whole bunch of friendly acquaintances. As a 20 year old, THAT worked.
NOW, I'm 25 and have recently started seeing the importance of having a close group of real friends. Paying closer attention to being the kind of friends I want to have. Aspen has really made me revaluate what kind of influences I would like to have in our lives, and look at the long-term effects those relationships may have. In short... if someone doesn't seem like a genuinely good person, they might still be a "friend", just not in the inner circle. It's been a fun transformation to go through, and I'm hoping in 5 years from now I can say "As a 25 year old, that worked" haha.
I have noticed how much I really look forward to play-dates with other Moms I know, and how important for my sanity and general health it is to get out to have tea (or wine) with a girl-friend here and there. As human beings I believe as the quote states above that friendship is the only cement that will hold this world together! It gets a little overwhelming when I stop to think about the general UGLINESS there is on a daily basis everywhere you turn. If we can all have (and BE) amazing friends, that is a great way to start the ripple effect of changing the world to a happier place for our children. Pay it Forward is an amazing movie if anyone is looking for a good film- and it's true. Without getting too preachy, I think we are going to start going to church more regularly because there are foundations in a spiritual community I would love to see Aspen grow up in. There really isn't an excuse for our lack of attendance... just finding motivation on Sundays is rough.
I don't have any wise ending thoughts here, and I'm tired of typing... so to wrap it up- I really love all of our friends and hope that Aspen can figure out sooner than I did that quality over quantity is important. Surround yourself with honest, true friends that hold you to a higher standard and make you push to be a great friend too... and it's always a bonus if those friends have a healthy appreciation for My Little Ponies too ;-)
