I Have a Friend

Over the last few days I’ve been thinking about how blessed I am in friendship. What has brought this about? I will be going to stake girls camp shortly, and I’ve realized how many amazing friends I’ll have there. I’m basically going on a mountain retreat with some of the best women in the world (and 150 teenage girls). 

Because my friends are so amazing, let me tell you a bit about them.

I have a friend…

…who would give you the shirt off her back. Literally. Like, don’t tell her you like her shirt because she WILL take it off and give it to you.

That same friend will slip a candy bar into your hand in the middle of a church meeting, sneak a Cafe Rio card into your purse, and show up on your porch at midnight with a box of cookies for your kids’ birthday. 

I have a friend…

…who knows everyone’s name and remembers everything about them. She makes everyone feel like they are her best friend (but sorry, ya’ll… her best friend is ME). 

I have a friend…

…who spends hours and hours taking and editing photos of people because she wants everyone to enjoy captured memories and feel good about themselves. 

I have a friend…

…who forgives and let’s go and doesn’t hold a grudge. She is always willing to give anyone a chance to start over. She’s just waiting with welcome arms.

I have a friend…

…who shows up with spontaneous loaves of sourdough bread. 

She also gets all my packages off my porch when I’m not home, goes in my house to turn off lights and close windows when I forget, and lets me steal things out of her fridge when I run out. 

I have a friend…

…who lets my daughter dump all her drama on her, and she listens and plays the part of sentinel on my behalf. She lets me know when there’s something going on that I need to check in on. 

She also takes my kids off my hands for hours sometimes even though I haven’t been able to return the favor to the same extent.

I have a friend…

…who never speaks negatively of her body. She is a breath of fresh air; a wonderful example of how we don’t need to berate ourselves. We can just embrace what we’ve got and enjoy life.

I have a friend… 

…who knows when I need a compliment. She always serves them up at the exact time they are needed, and she is deep and sincere. She tells me the greatest parts of my character, and I am both humbled and lifted by her validation. 

She also celebrates EVERY success I have and is never competitive or jealous. She genuinely loves to see good things happen to me. I feel like she’s my biggest fan!

I have a friend… 

…who never tries to impress anyone. There is no keeping up with the Jones’s or one-upping anyone. She is always her genuine self and just as sweet as can be. She is very giving in the community and kind to everyone.

I have a friend…

…who gives the funnest and most creative and thoughtful gifts. I’m always excited to see what she comes up with for holidays and birthdays. She is detail-oriented in everything she does, and she always puts things together so beautifully. You feel special being a recipient of her presents. 

She is also one of the funniest people I know, and I can tell her anything! I never have to feel embarrassed about anything with her. She is a safe and loving friend and one of the best people to talk about TV with. I pursue a lot of her recommendations and have enjoyed a lot of shows thanks to her!

I have a friend…

…with whom I exchange gardening texts several times a week. For years we have shared our excitement over every little seedling, every bloom, and every harvest. We do this from two states away, since she has moved from Utah to Arizona, to Montana over the past few years. 

I have a friend… 

…who is frighteningly extroverted, and she gets me to do things I normally wouldn’t do. Sometimes she can bring things out in me that normally lie dormant. 

I have a friend…

…who always shares her bounty. She has some fantastic fruit trees in her yard, and she shows up at my house with cherries, apples, and peaches. She also lets me go pick whatever I want, whenever I want! I always have a freezer full of smoothie ingredients because she shares.

I have a friend… 

…who has whatever I need and just shows up with it like “Here you go.” She never lets me pay her for anything or do anything for her in return, she’s just like, “Oh, your temple dress is too small? Okay. Here. Have mine even though it’s brand new, and I’ve only worn it once.” 

I have a friend…

…who loves my kids, and it just really feels nice to have someone love my kids outside of familial obligation. 

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So, as you can see, I’m a bit spoiled. I hope I never take my friends for granted because I am truly blessed to have such amazing people in my life.