They know all your secrets.
They can name your old elementary and high school crushes, your most embarrassing moments, and your biggest regrets.
They know the one you love and the ones that got away.
They celebrate your greatest achievements and empathize with your wish-you-could-do-overs.
You don’t have to be wordy in texts, phone calls, or conversations: You get one another.
Weeks, months, and sometimes even years may pass, and you pick up right where you left off.
Laughter with your crew is like none other; unrefined, unrestrained, childhood bliss relived.
You’ve been there for each other through past betrayal, break-ups, and heartaches.
You’ve rejoiced in each other’s real deals—the engagements and the weddings. You’ve celebrated together and revered every child conceived.
You’ve advised each other through various trials and tribulations of marriage and motherhood; the run-of-the-mill stuff, the enormous, life-altering stuff, and everything in between.
Now, middle age is in full swing, and the changes keep coming.
We’ll encourage one another to never stop learning and to keep aging with dignity, humor, beauty, and grace.
We know too many that weren’t given the privilege of growing older, so we won’t resent it.
We’ll hold all our loved ones as close as we can.
We’ll be wiser from (past and current) pain and loss.
We’ll be eternally grateful, embracing the sweetness of everyday and the joy and security of steady love.
We’ll cartwheel and dance and not give a hoot about uncaring opinions.
We’ll continually thank God for our minds, our health, and for every last thing we’ve been given.
We’ll thank Him for our parents and how they raised us.
We’ll thank Him for our families—our spouses, our in-laws, our siblings, our kids, daughters and sons-in-law, precious grand babies—and for every single old and new treasured friend we’ve ever been blessed with.
We will continually thank God for it all.
We sure do thank Him for each other.
Lifelong friends are golden.
Ecclesiastes 4:10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone that falls and has no one to help them up.
Proverbs 27:9 The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume or incense.
Deb this is so beautiful and so true! I love you and our friendship ❤️
I love you too, Kel!
Beautiful words! Enjoy every day and laugh a lot. Blessings to you!💚
Thank you, Suzy! Love and blessings to you too! 💕💕
Thank you Debbie for all the precious memories and thoughts of are life’s and for always praising God , he continuously give us wonderful Blessings,, and you are one of his fondest blessings, love you sweetheart 💕🙏💕
Thank you, yes He sure does! So many precious memories throughout our lifetimes, we are blessed with a beautiful legacy of love in our family, I love you too!💗
This is a keeper- Debbie, may the Lord bless you and keep you this day and always. Evelyn
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Thank you, Evelyn, and same to you ❤️ May the Lord bless you and your family and friends always
Thank you for articulating how we feel about our friendships. You are truly blessed with your writing. I am moved by your words with such grace and am honored to call you my friend. Beautifully said. I will continue to treasure our love for each other and am thankful for each and every one of you girls in my life. Xoxo
Thank you, Sand, yes we are so blessed! I love and treasure you and each and all of our friendships!!! xoxoxo
So very blessed that we each have that core group of friends in life that mean the world to us! God is so good! 🙂
Amen!! ❤️ Yes we are and yes He is!!!!!
Oh Debbie!! So beautifuly written. We certainly are blessed and have been through so much together. The hardest of times and our best times! I love you so much and especially for giving me grace! 😘
Thank you, Stac, I love you so much too! I agree – the hardest of times and our best of times, looking forward to all our future adventures! 🥰❤️
I keep wondering how I got to be so lucky to be a part of all your lives. These bonds are a once in a lifetime. We are so very different yet our roots keep us intertwined forever. The phases of life keep changing yet when we are together we are right back to where we left off as if no time has passed. ❤️
So true, Shelly! I feel exactly the same way, and as time goes on I know we all realize how very special our friendships are, love you! ❤️
I just love the things you write. Love you and value your friendship!
Thank you, dear friend ❤️ I love you too! I value our friendship and miss you!!
What a lovely tribute to your wonderful friends, Debbie! Long-term friends are indeed a precious gift. One of the joys I especially appreciate is the shared memories we can enjoy (and laugh about!) over and over again. Memories are surely part of the strong bonds that hold us together!
Thank you, Nancy! Yes, that is very true! A wonderful blessing from the Lord to have memories like that ❤️
This is so beautiful! ❤️
Thanks very much!