The Crown Jewels of My Life...

This week is the second week of the Friends You Love Blog Hop and I am so thrilled for my guest blogger this week. Meet Amanda from Enchanting Havoc--a sweet as sugar blogger who I have had the honor of "meeting" through the blog world. I love Amanda for so many reasons--but in honesty I have to say that I love her so much because we have so much in common. Our pasts, our stories...sometimes they give me chills with how much we have in common. Hope you love her as much as I do--and enjoy her fabulous post below!

“A true friend comes in when the whole world has gone out.”

Growing up I moved around A LOT. You’d think I grew up in an army house, but I didn’t. I just had the annoying honor of growing up within the walls of a very dysfunctional family.

I was very hesitant on allowing myself to become close to friends, because either I’d end up moving, or they’d be the bearer of unnecessary drama. Drama with friends was something I never allowed in my world, because unfortunately my family supplied a nice dose of that all on its own.

I’ve always had this attitude on friendship as it being the crown jewel in my life. I have strived to always be the true friend that comes in when the whole world has gone out. When you offer your friends that unconditional love and acceptance, odds are you’ll be attracting those type of friends in return. {Now, why in the flipping world doesn’t that work with family? OH! I know, because friends are the family we get to choose!}

I’m not overwhelmed with this huge abundance of friends in my life, because while I moved around a lot I gained one true life long friend while growing up. We actually started out from preschool together and remained close friends all through my unstable life journey. After we graduated high school I became a mom and had a job and started my family life. It’s hard to find time for friends when you’re raising a family. It might not be a challenge for you, but for myself it is.

Ever since I graduated highschool I've come across a few more friends that have grown into my heart. Some of these friends I consider to be best friends. Friends I know will continue on with this life journey with me. Friends that understand where I'm at in my life as being a mom and can relate to my frustrations and excitements. I always thought I could only have 1 best friend, but as I'm growing I've learned that's not true.

I've always been very hesitant on letting walls down and friends into my heart. I'm sure that throughout my life's course I've probably missed out on what might have been some very lasting and amazing friendships, but the few friends I've tucked in my heart along the way have been the gems I've treasured and am so grateful for.

A few years ago I was pregnant with our second child, who we ended up losing, but being pregnant with her introduced me to the world of online friends. It started with forums, and it ended here in the blog world. I've found my nook, my place where as my fingers tap along the keyboard my heart is opened, and friends I never thought I'd have are peeking into my soul.

In the beginning of me forming friendships online I know that many IRL friends mocked me. Thought of them as "fake" friends, and never truly understood. I can tell you with my experience I haven't formed fake friendships online. I've formed lasting, beautiful friendships with friends that truly know me as me. They know the matters of my heart, because I'm constantly pouring it all out right on my blog. I don't open my heart and pour it all out IRL like I do on my blog, and I think that because of that my online friends {and friends IRL who actually read my blog} know me in a different way than others in my life do.

This blogging community is nothing short of pure amazing. The beautiful friends I've formed are friendships that I will hold close my heart forever, because we know each other. We've gotten that glimpse into their soul that a good ol' conversation over a cup of tea or coffee or whatever you drink can't truly give. Our writings and our words have opened the gates to our hearts and how can a true friendship not be formed that way?

Being somebody like myself that is hesitant on which friends she allows into her life, the blogging community is the best thing ever, because there's ALWAYS somebody there with advice on what you're going through, or somebody who knows how you're feeling.  You form these bonds that indescribable.  And I can say that friendship has taken a whole different meaning to me.

I feel overwhelmingly rich in life with the friends I have both online and in my life.  They each have brought something so special to me at one point in my life.  Even the friends I'm not as close with now, at one point they were the world to me ~ and that's something I will always hold close to my heart.   Friendship is something I treasure with all of my heart, because it is true that a true friend comes in when then whole world has gone out ~ no matter how much time or distance is between them.