Friends

I recently read a post about keeping a small circle of friends. I don't remember the exact quote or who was being quoted, but it kind of bummed me out a bit. I think mostly that it speaks to the under 25 crowd as a reminder to maintain only the good friendships that help one to grow. However, as a person who spent much of their young life moving to new places I often felt excluded from small circles of friendship. Those long established relationships often left no room for new friends. Like I was always on the outside looking in and wishing to be a part of ANY group of friends. Of course this naturally translated into me hanging out with what would probably be deemed as the wrong crowd as a young girl.

Thankfully I moved on into adulthood and began making lifelong friendships. I have now made many friendships that have lasted decades. While the circle of my very closest friends remains fairly small and tight I never close the door on the possibility for new friendships. I have a the more the merrier policy. Ultimately I think some people fade away and other come to feel so much like family that it hardly seems possible that we aren't related.

Many of these friendships were ignited when one friend was single and when they found their partner our circle grew. We have also made friends through friends. I am always actively pursuing new friendships too. I guess, getting back to the original quote, I don't believe in having a small circle of friends. I think that a circle of friends probably has a natural capacity, but that isn't really something that needs delegation. Obviously many friendships have a season and then they fade, but those serve a great purpose too. I learn and grow from every relationship that I have and there is no way that I am interested in limiting growth.