LET'S CELEBRATE

Today is Valentines day.

Today there will be countless Facebook statuses about "Single Awareness Day" and thousands of complaints about singleness on Twitter.  And let's not forget the fact that too many people are going to have a pity party tomorrow, drowning themselves in their own self pity because "being single sucks!"

When I went to public school for Kindergarten and 1st grade, we weren't allowed to call it "Valentines Day".  We had to call it "Friends Day".  What's the reason? I'll never know, but it was interesting.

Valentines Day, though, isn't what most of the world thinks it is. To me, it's just a day to celebrate love.

I'll be honest.  It's hard to love your friends hard when they live in other states around the country.  It just is.  But today, I want to celebrate them.  Because I truly have the best friends anyone could ever have.

I have those three friends that I met through the best online school on the planet.  In an Algebra I and Biology class, they just showed up.  And they've never stopped showing up.  In every struggle, in every joyful moment, they've been there.  God has just shown me over the past four years that friendship can be real and true and honest over the internet.  We only see each other 5 days out of every year.  That means that for 360 days we live without each other.  Let's be honest, it really sucks.  But the internet and Skype is such an amazing thing and it keeps everyone sane.  Yalls know who you are.  Thank you for being the best all day every day and for never letting go.  I miss you so much and just 103 days until I get to see your faces :) :) :)

And then there are the two that I watched move away a few years ago.  That one was the hardest to watch.  Girls, we've always been like sisters.  All those hours sitting in classes with you in co-op, laughing until we cry (and making Jill go insane) during math, and staying up until 2am talking about our weddings are some of my favorite moments ever.  You've both just been there.  God has you in the place He wants you to be and I am so happy about that.  Know that I love you both to the moon and back and that I'm counting the minutes until I get to see you again.

And then there are all the friends I've known since before I was born - literally.  I'm so thankful for the church my parents got plugged into that brought all of these amazing people into my life.  I'll always love each and every one of you and I know that we will always be friends.  I can't wait to see where God takes each of you in your lives :)

Thank you, to each friend of mine.  Today I celebrate you.  I love you all dearly.