I was recently asked how I have so many friends. The honest answer is that I have NO idea.
I'm sure I've blogged about it before but I'm lucky to know so many amazing people. That's true all the time but it always rings particularly true when I'm stressed or going through a difficult time. One of the easiest ways for me to recognize stress in myself is that I stop singing along to the radio. For me, that indicates the kind of stress that I need to care about, the kind that doesn't disappear after a good night's sleep and solid meal.
When the radio doesn't cut it anymore, I dig out my CD's. I could just play the same music off my phone but, somehow, it's just not the same. I reach for the CD's that friends have made me over the years. They've been made with intent and with feeling and with care. A fair few of them have even been made with love. Many of them have been my companions on nearly a decade of road trips. The music is great but the memories that come with it are better.
The songs I listen to remind me of all the times that were better than the moment I'm currently in. The time I got into a car with a near stranger and got out a few hours later with a close friend. (It wasn't creepy, I promise.) The time I road tripped across the country with my boyfriend (now husband) and one of our best friends. So many moves across state lines. Weddings. Birthdays. Parties. The list goes on forever but there's one memory that is especially precious to me. (Okay, there are at least a thousand precious moments but there's one I want to talk about right now.)
In my junior year at college, I came down with some awful stomach bug. I struggled through a midterm and spent the rest of the day in bed. By late evening, I had to be admitted to the ER. I remember the pain and the fear of the whole mess. Three people, my then-boyfriend, then-best friend, and another friend, came to the hospital with me. After being admitted and put on an IV, everything got pretty fuzzy. I was released, nearly 6 hours later, at 2 am and I remember standing near the hospital doors, near tears, wondering how I was supposed to get back to my dorm, miles away. I had no car, no phone, and still felt horrible. A nurse came by and said she would get my friend from the cafeteria and the relief I felt was unbelievable. Of course my best friend or boyfriend had stayed! I thought and felt incredibly stupid for feeling so alone. Neither had though. Instead, they had both gone back to their dorms, tired. The third friend who came with us to the ER though had stayed awake all night, not wanting me to be released alone.
Some acts of friendship leave an indelible imprint on us. They aren't all as grand as the one I've recounted here but they are all deeply important. I don't know how I have found so many friends but I am so thankful for every single one of them. When I am feeling low, their loving actions are a Long Distance Hug.
Coincidentally, that's also the name of one of my favorite mix CD's.
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