And FRIEND in the Twenty-First Century isn’t just a noun anymore!  That’s the first thing I thought of when I decided on this topic for the letter F.

Friend is also a verb, thanks to the Facebook phenomenon. You know: you are someone’s NOUN FRIEND when they VERB FRIEND you from their Facebook page. Another evolution in the English language!

I am thinking of noun Friends, though. And how they come in all kinds, from all parts of your life, and become such a piece of who you are. Best of all is that they just keep coming!

I have my Old Friends. Some of them have been with me since childhood–even infancy!– and that’s been a long time! They’re the kids from the neighborhood and the kids from school and even though you are all quite grown and mature now (ahem) you are always kids to each other. Best part of Old Friends: they knew you when, they know you now, they still like you, they are there even when you don’t see them very often, they will always be there, and oh, how you all revert to kid-hood when you’re together!

New Friends are those I have collected since the Old Friend phase described above. Funny how New Friends come in distinct categories and time periods that separate them from Old Friends. 

New Friends come from college, after marriage, moving to new neighborhoods, having your own kids, work….the Adult Level of Friends. They fulfill different roles from Old Friends.

They only know you in your maturity, whatever that may be. You’re a classmate swapping notes, you’re a neophyte spouse and parent swapping How-To stories, you’re an office colleague swapping work ideas and adding to the team. Your shared experiences are so different–these Friends are adding to different parts of who you are.

Then what? Where do your Friends come from when you’re in that comfortable phase of life when you think you have about all the friends you need? Well, this might be the best part of all. Now you can find Friends everywhere. 

I have Verb Friends now, as well as new Noun Friends. They come from all over the world, in person and virtual. They are all ages, sizes, shapes, colors……amazing! Some I have never met in person–those are the Verb Friends from my online community. Others, my newer Noun Friends, are a most amazing and wonderful group of people just seem to keep coming into my realm when I need them most. These Friends all never cease to add new dimensions to my life. I’m so fortunate to have them.

Keep all your Friends, my Friend. You know who you are!