It's National Best Friend Day!!

                                      

I often get quite tickled by the "National" days that spring up on my Facebook feed.  Every single day of the year has some kind of special meaning, according to Nationalholidaycalendar.com.

Friday was National Donut Day.  And you can bet your bottom dollar that I drove the kids and myself to Krispy Kreme to take advantage of choosing ANY donut for FREE.  Peanut and I went for a traditional raspberry filled glazed, Butter tried one of their new Brownie Batter donuts, and Jelly went for her usual colorful, sprinkled ring donut.  Not a bad day to celebrate.  Thank you, Krispy Kreme, for being a good sport and indulging the good people of Northwest Arkansas by not taking a single penny for your glorious creations.

But, did you also know that Friday was National Gardening Exercise Day, National Yo-Yo Day, National Drive-In Movie Day, or National Applesauce Cake Day?  NO?? Good heavens, why not? 

Probably, because you're a normal person, like me, and have no idea about these crazy "holidays" unless someone posts it on your Facebook feed and you decide to do a little digging to find out if that's actually true, or just someone trying to start a new trend.

Yesterday was National Chocolate Ice Cream Day (do Snickers Ice-Cream bars count?), National Trails Day, and National VCR Day.  Seriously? Where do they come up with this stuff.  Does anyone even own a VCR anymore?

And how do you celebrate something like that?  Buy the VCR a brand new, never opened, "vintage" video tape for it to chew up?

While most of the days are completely hysterical and go by without me giving them the slightest bit of thought, today's Facebook National Day reminder caught my attention.  

Today is National Best Friends Day.  

It's also National Upsy Daisy Day (what the heck is that?) and National Name Your Poison Day... really?  Well, if you're curious, according to the website National Upsy Daisy Day is supposed to promote people to get up and go "gloriously, gratefully, and gleefully".  Urm.  OK.  This fat girl gets up every day as gloriously, gratefully, and gleefully as she can possibly muster.  Sometimes it's quite comical to see me roll out of bed.  Other days, it would be best to pretend you never saw it.  And be thankful you are saved from that sight each day.  Seriously.  Be thankful.  

National Name Your Poison Day relates to "naming your poison" when it comes to picking a drink in a bar... OK, now I'm interested.  But, the actual meaning is to celebrate making a decision or a choice.  I'm going to celebrate making the decision to not celebrate some of these cockamamy holidays.  How about that?

Except, today, I am willing to take...no scratch that, I need to take some of my time today to celebrate National Best Friends Day by giving a little shout-out to the people I consider my very best friends.

Up until a few years ago, I really didn't have a best friend.  In fact, I hadn't really had a "best friend" since high school.  My definition of a best friend was someone I spent all of my spare time with, talked to constantly on the phone, knew every intimate detail of their lives and they knowing mine.  And I didn't have that.  Nobody filled that spot.  Sure, I had friends and acquaintances, but they were really just co-workers.  People I spent time with because we were forced together because we worked together.  That's it really.  

But then, I started my last two years of college.

If you've been around these parts, reading my blog for some time, you all should recognize and know Sanity and Hope (the two pictured with me above and the middle picture on the bottom). They have been my best friends since my sophomore year of college.  We became fast friends after being put together to work on a group project.  We realized we enjoyed each others' company, and our group work then turned in to dedicating one day a week to "hang out and destress" from the toll of college work.  That then led to us spending weekends together, doing "college student" like activities like going to nightclubs, singing karaoke, and just having an absolute blast with each other.  In fact, I would go out on a limb that I spent WAY more time with Sanity and Hope than I did with my family, those last two years.  

Shortly after we graduated, I was given a framed picture of the three of us in our caps and gowns.  That picture sits happily and proudly on my desk at school.  I look at those girls every single day and think about how much we went through, how we supported each other, and how I probably would have never made it through without them.  

Since graduation, our time together has been interrupted with stuff like having to work.  Which sucks, big time.  All three of us work, have families and other friends, and don't get to see each other near as much as I'ld like.  

In fact, Hope just gave birth to a stunningly beautiful little guy.  He was born premature, and has been fighting a tough battle, but he's pulling through like a champ.  It breaks my heart that I have yet to go and see her, see him, see them both.  But, because it's been so long since Hope and I saw each other, I figure it best to give her space with her closest family and friends, and then I'll make it over to see her in a few weeks when her little bundle of miracle has completely pulled through and up for more visitors.  

Sanity is doing what she does, and I keep up with as much as I can through Facebook.  I did enjoy a well overdue chat with her, yesterday.  We're both determined to spend some quality time together this summer.  That's happening.  I'm not going through an entire summer without being with her at least some of it.  I don't think I'll have too much trouble convincing her to come spend some time with me, in my pool.  HA!!

Then there's E.  She's the newest of my "best friends".  Our friendship has just developed over the course of this school year.  When I was going through a really rough time, she was there to listen.  We hadn't been close, really, before that... but I somehow felt cosmically called to her to lean on.  She was a ray of fresh air on a very tough and thick raincloud that was hanging over my head, and I will always love her for that.  And since then, I've had no trouble going to her when I need to be told not just what I want to hear, but what I need to hear.  In my opinion, that's the definition of a true friend... someone that will be honest with you, doesn't sugar coat, but always does it reinforcing the fact that she's doing it because she cares.  I don't know how many nights we've spent texting each other through our certain situations.  I don't get to spend near as much time with her outside of work as I'd like, either, but again... I have plans to make that happen this summer.  She hasn't been informed of these "plans" yet.. but I know she reads this, so... SURPRISE!! We're hanging out this summer as much as possible, FYI.  :)

And then last, but definitely not least, there's P-Momma.  Best friend isn't exactly the right title for her.. she's like a mother to me.  She has been and always will be a grandmother to my children.  That woman has gone above and beyond to make us a part of her family, and I know she's always a phone call or a short drive away.  She calls me or texts me several times a week just to see how I'm doing, opens up her home to my crazy crew for get-togethers or just when I'm in serious need of some P-Momma time, and has always made me feel like I'm a daughter to her.  I can and do tell her EVERYTHING that's going on in my life.  She gives me motherly advice, best-friend advice, and just plain ol' lets sit down and chat time. I will always love her and she is a very important person in my life.  

I have learned over the course of the past couple of years that I am blessed with many friends.  The people I work with are more than co-workers.  We know about each others' families and special events and general stuff that's happening in each others' lives.  So, I definitely can't complain about how happy I am for having such amazing people in my life.

But, there are always those select few that you know you have a special bond with.  The feeling doesn't necessarily have to be mutual.  Meaning, I might consider these ladies my absolute best friends, but they have different people they place in that category.  And that's perfectly fine.  Just knowing that I was picked to be a part of their lives is a great honor, and one that I don't take lightly.  

Each of them, in their own way, have had a hand in shaping, molding, and guiding me through these later years of my life.  The good, the bad, the crazy, and the exciting.  When I think of the really big moments that have happened these past several years, at least one of them are a part of it.  They are all apart of one or the other.  

I can never, truly repay them for the kindness, support, love, and honesty that they've each bestowed on me.  But, just knowing that I care for them, appreciate them, and honor them on this day is my small token of showing them what they mean to me.

So, Sanity, Hope, E, and P-Momma, THANKY YOU for being the best friends this girl could ask for.

I love you all!!

HAPPY NATIONAL BEST FRIEND DAY!!

Oh, and don't forget to enjoy National Upsy Daisy Day, and Pick Your Poison Day... cause, you know.. I suppose there's someway you can get up "gracefully" or make some form of decision.