30 People, Day 11: My First Real Friend

 

Shout-Out to Lindsey, who I consider my first “real friend.” By real, I don’t mean that my prior friends were imaginary, but that you were the first friend with whom I talked about real life stuff, where our friendship went beyond playdates and childish things.

I struggled, through the middle school years, with wanting what I thought was a “true friend,” and there were very specific qualifications in my head for what that meant. While I bemoaned this ideal friend’s lack of existence, one winter you sent me one of those fun little Valentine’s Day cards and on it you had written, “Thanks for being a true friend.” And I realized God had already given me what I was asking for!

So thank you for showing me what real friendship looks like, through all the sleepovers, homeschool trips, and True Love Waits events. All the way from your mom asking if you could come to my birthday party (that will never stop being funny), to being at each other’s weddings, and beyond, I appreciate having you as a friend.

Challenge to readers:
Who was the first friend in your childhood who was a REAL friend? Give a shout-out below.