Bosom Friends

I realized the other day that there are several things I take for granted. I watched Anne of Green Gables over Christmas and it got me thinking about friendship. I've always wished I had a bosom friend, to take a phrase from Anne, but as yet haven't found a kindred spirit. I've also wished that I had a really good group of chums upon whom I can call and with whom I can have all kinds of adventures. Just as I was thinking this, Samantha came to mind; however, I immediately pushed the idea aside. She doesn't count, I thought. She's my sister, she's supposed to like me. She's supposed to be my friend.

But as I thought about it more, I had to chastise myself a little bit. As far as a group of friends, I realized that I can find that in my immediate family. The funnest times, my favorite times, are whenever I just hang out and play with my family. It doesn't matter what we do, it is never draining and always enjoyable. I can laugh really loudly, be goofy, and say dumb things and they will always love and accept me. I realized that there are lots of people who are not very close to their family at all; some have little, if any, contact with them for one reason or another. Then again, some people have quite a bit of conflict in their home and contend with differences of opinion, personality, and values. Samantha and I have never been enemies. Sure, we've quarreled or had frustrations about this or that, but other than those small squabbles we have been the best of friends for as long as I can remember. We played together as little girls, cooperated as young denarians, and now that we've gotten older, we confide and share in our experiences together as we learn about life. We have similar interests and temperaments which really give us a unique understanding of each other. One thing that has been really important to me is that we share goals and a strong work ethic. Doing well in school and challenging myself academically is very important to me and Samantha helps me with that by sharing that passion and pursuit of excellence.

I'm really grateful that Heavenly Father decided to give me such a great family and such a great friend who also doubles as a sister. I know I'll always have her in my life and we'll always be friends forever. Yeah, forever. :)