I loved Judy Blume books when I was growing up. I love them now, too. She captures what it means to be a girl in a way that's utterly timeless. I felt comforted by her characters that were smart, curious, and emotionally invested in the people surrounding them. Too many authors neglect the true emotional connections in their novels. They're heavy on gimmicks and plot devices, and weak on heart.

I recently found this quote from her and smiled at its simplicity and truth. Isn't friendship such an amazing and crucial part of life? Doesn't matter if it's your husband, sister, mother, girlfriend...moments with a real friend, someone who can be present with you through bliss and through pain, are precious. They are to be held onto like a cup of tea; gently but with both hands. Friends serve as our mirrors and as our pillows. They reflect who we are back at us and show us where we need to to grow, need to love, need to push forward--and the cushion our heads when the weight of the world drags us underneath the covers.

I've been blessed with both friends who have stuck by me and supported me, and friends who have flown the coop when it was no longer convenient. I say blessed because the good friends are my LIFE. They fill my heart and soul with such love and understanding and I do not want to participate in this earth experiment without them. The not-so-good friends have pushed me to look at myself more deeply, to question and refine my values, to learn the meaning of letting go. The anguish I've experienced when a friend reveals themselves to not be so has burned away my false expectations of myself and others and let me see the world more clearly. That's a gift.

I have so many dreams and ambitions, but one of my most valued is to be a good friend--to myself, to my husband, to my family, and to those cherished few who have let me into their lives. To remember their journeys, to be present for their celebrations and their devastations, to know them as completely and honestly as they will let me.