Proud of My Friends

I don't say it enough, so I thought I would take some time to say what friendship means to me and how proud I am of my friends. I won't be able to cover all of my friends, for I have many and it would take up a large amount of space, but I wanted to single out 3 of them.

What does friendship mean to me? Well, Websters Dictionary defines friendship as the state of being friends. And it defines friends as "one attached to another by affection or esteem, a favored companion". To me, friendship is all of those things and more. It means knowing that, no matter what has happened in your life or how long time has passed, they will always be there for you. It means being able to talk about anything and everything whenever or wherever. It means that they won't judge you no matter how stupid you are or how brilliant you. They include you in their lives, they praise you and criticize you, they keep you honest and humble, and you do the same for them. And above all, they appreciate honesty, though it isn't always welcome, and they delve it out in equal measure. That's what friendship means to me. My friends, like my family, mean the world to me, but they don't hear it enough, so I thought I would take some time to praise three of them for achieving some important milestones in their lives.

First, there is Casey. I met him at work over 3 and half years ago. We discovered that we had a mutual interest in RPG's and video games and that we shared a similiar philosophy on life. He's smart and funny, and a great guy to talk too. He's more physically active than I am and inspires me to be the same. What I'm proud of him most for is finally proposing to his long time girlfriend. She accepted and they are getting married next year! I am incredibly happy for them. Having been married for a long time, I highly recommend it and am so happy that he finally took the "plunge". I know that they are very happy together and that they will have a wonderful married life in addition to their wonderful unmarried life. I'm proud of you man!

Then there is Steve. He is a new friend that was introduced to me by Casey. While we haven't worked together, we have had many an occasion to socialize in a purely social sense and in a gaming sense. Everytime we meet socially, he is always one of the very first people to welcome me and make me feel like I belong. Like Casey, he and I share a common interest in RPG's and in video gaming. He too is highly intelligent and shares a similiar philosophy on life. He is a great conversationalist and highly entertaining to talk to! He has also proposed to his long time girlfriend and will also be getting married next year. I'm very excited for them as they are perfect together! I'm proud of you too man!

Lastly, but not leastly, is my best friend John. John is one of the most wonderful, funny, and honest people I have ever met. We have known each other for almost 20 years. I know that I can always call him no matter how much time has passed and that it will seem like we just spoke yesterday. His sisters, their families, his brother, and his parents (rest in peace dad), are all my family as well. I've always been welcome at his house and he at mine. He has had some challenges in the relationship department, but he has finally found someone that compliments his personality and his attitudes. Though they are still in the dating phase, I have no doubt that he will one day marry her. I'm proud of you man for finally finding that "someone"!

For all of my other friends, new and old, I'm proud of all of you as well. I don't say it enough, but thank you all for accepting me as I am, putting up with my excentricasies, and being there when I need to hear the good and the bad. Know that I love you all VERY much and that you are always on my mind even if I don't say it or show it all the time. Be well my friends!