Since my brother was born, it’s just been the four of us. My parents, me and Stefan. We have never lived close to family. It just seems that as time goes on, we move further and further away. Most of my family (grandparents, aunts and uncles) live in Colorado or Canada.
From a young age, the friends around me became my family. My parents were lucky to have friends their age, who also had children our age. My family moved a lot because of my dad’s job, but once we moved to Illinois when I was 7, we stopped moving. We stopped moving to different states, but we still moved to another church, another school, another town. Through these moving processes also came leaving old friends and making new friends. It was just a cycle I got used to.
Then came college. Friends came and went. I spent a year abroad and came back to not knowing many people and starting over. Again.
I love my family a lot, but they’re not as close as my friends are–with the exception of my brother because of how close we are . Family means everything to me, as do my friends. When I say everything, I mean everything. I would do most anything for my friends–and family, because I want them to know how much they mean to me.
Lately, I’ve had to really think about how much I give to people. I’ll give and give and give, even when I have nothing more to give–and I don’t even realize it.
I’ll stay up talking to you until the wee hours of the morning, I’ll wake up early to pick you up from the airport, I’ll watch hours of tv to catch up on a riveting show, I’ll kill bugs when you can’t, I’ll go to concerts with you and I’ll cook meals with you until we’re in a food coma. I’ll pray for you, more than you will ever know, I’ll support you in your decisions even if I don’t necessarily think you’re making the right decision, I’ll be honest with you, without hurting your feelings, I’ll sing obnoxious songs at the top of my lungs with you, and I’ll laugh until my sides hurt. I’ll cry with you until I can’t breathe out of my nose and I’ll listen to you, even though I’m getting hard of hearing. I’ll put my phone down when we talk and look into your eyes so you know I’m paying attention.
My friends mean the world to me and I would never change that. I love them so much. Each and every one has done something awesome for me and that’s just being my friend, because to me–you’re considered my family.
I love you!
Lauren Brooks 