Love for my friends

I’ve been really lucky to spend a lot of time with a few close friends recently. Uninterrupted, accompanied by cocktails, or beer and good music, and especially, especially, without lots of little people running around causing havoc. It’s been wonderful.
 
As you get older and busier and there’s work, a house to keep going, children to look after, family things to do, cake sales or PTA events and all that other stuff that fills up your diary and leaves you exhausted on the sofa at the end of the day, you can forget how important being with your friends is. Whether it is life or work, sharing experiences and thoughts with them puts my troubles into perspective and gives me inspiration.
 
2015 was a bad year for my group of school friends. We lost an irreplaceable source of love and happiness, as my friend Bex died unexpectedly in the summer. It shook us all to the core and although it was a horrible experience, and continues to be, I think she would be singing with joy (and that girl basically sang non stop) because it has brought us all closer.
 
Whenever I met up with Bex, which was usually a quick workday lunch, I loved the fact that she was genuinely interested in my work and had a passion for her job too. That we worked in the same industry just strengthened that bond and meant that we could talk a bit about data and marketing and that sort of thing with ease. She also, when she was earning the big bucks from her first job out of school, and I was a poor student, bought me a pair of Diesel jeans on her credit card. I loved and coveted those jeans to the day I had to throw them out as they didn’t fit me any more (sob!). The thought chain of work hard – get money – buy pretty things was installed early on.
 
Spending a lot of quality friend time over the last few weeks has made me think of Bex more. Something is missing, and it hurts.
 
It has also shown me what’s valuable. I know now that, instead of feeling guilty when I take time out from my work day to meet some fellow mums for coffee or another lovely marketing person for lunch, this is what I need. I need to spend time with people, because the people I know are generally great, fun and I love spending time with them. Even over the past few months, I’ve been encouraged and inspired to write more blogs, start writing my book, redo my website and put lots more effort into what I do.
 
Which is why I love my friends.