Lifelong friends...

Lifelong friends are treasures. Everyone should have at least one. I'm talking about girlfriends, not just your spouse.

I happen to be lucky enough to have several lifelong friends. (By the way, I'm happy to report that over the years my list has grown, not shrunk. Shrank? Shrunk.)

These women know who they are and are gifts to me. I appreciate them more than I think they realize.

They cry with me when there's nothing else to do. They laugh with me when I'm dumber than previously thought possible. They lock my secrets up in their vaults and tell me I'm not the only one, though sometimes I highly suspect they are just being kind. They enjoy a good margarita and some fried food every once in awhile. They offer great advice and just shut up and listen when appropriate. They applaud my weight loss when I'm on a roll and help me eat chocolate desserts in times of crisis. They pretend my kids' poopy diapers really DON'T smell that bad. They endure shutterfly sharing of pics that seem endless at times, I think -- and even reply sometimes! In general, they keep me sane (well, that's a relative term, of course).

I have to go to the library now but I was just thinking about how much my friends mean to me and thought I'd share. The world is a nicer place because of my friends and I'm a lucky lady.