Best Friends

I have a lot to be grateful for.  This time of year we have Thanksgiving to remind us of all we have.  Sometimes it is easy to only see what we lack.  It can be difficult to see the many, many blessings that the Lord has given us.  This year I am grateful for friends.

This year I made some great friends and renewed some old friendships.  I got the chance to become friends with people from my ward, some people that attend USU, and those in the community.  I got the opportunity to perform in a play with some amazing and talented people.  I got the chance to renew my friendship with a wonderful young lady, Cathy Hawkes.

Cathy and I knew each other before we both went on LDS missions.  I went to Riverside, CA and she went to Jackson, Mississippi.  We wrote letters back in forth the whole time.  I hadn't realized until I left that Cathy was a very good friend of mine and I didn't want to lose contact.

Well, throughout life I have had many friends.  Some were in my life a short time, others were in it for quite a while.  I remember that many of my first friends always seemed to be girls.  Then we moved to Erda.  Erda was a great place to be a kid; we had many young kids my age in the neighborhood and one who was homeschooled like I was. Brian Baker is his name.

Brian and I have kept in touch for a long time.  We would call each other on the phone once we moved to Delta.  After a few years we lost touch, but we got back in contact a few years ago.  He has many of the same interests as I do.  We both love to learn and read, we love to have the chance to discuss ideas.  We have had many great conversations.

After we moved to Delta I began to make new friends.  I had several great ones there.  Delta was fun.  We would play night games and do things outdoors during the summer.  As we were in Delta longer I began to say someone else was my best friend.

What is a best friend?  I have wondered this for a long time.  I wasn't sure until recently.  I believe a best friend is someone that you are able to be yourself with.  This means that you are comfortable doing ANYTHING with them; you wouldn't do anything inappropriate because they would not pressure you to do so.  You can be crazy and dance, sit and talk for hours, go bowling and do terrible and laugh at  yourself.

As I have gotten older I have had many best friends.  I first had Kaitlyn Moony as a best friend, then Brian, Trevor, Eric, Robert, Taylor, Sean.  All of these people have been amazing friends.  I wouldn't be the person I am today without them.  Each has come into my life at the right time to help me grow.  Each friend has shown me different qualities.

Best friends are friends you never lose.  I don't care how far distant we may seem, but we will always have the connection with best friends.  We can always shoot the breeze about times past, call up memories of childhood.  I would still say each of those friends I listed above are great friends, even though I haven't seen a few of them for several years.  I will always remember them.

Now I have a new best friend.  Cathy is my best friend.  She had always been a great friend.  She was there when I needed her, and I was there for her.  Best friends are good for a shoulder to cry on, a buddy to laugh with, or just someone to spend time with.  I have spent a ton of time with Cathy since April, and I am so excited that I get to marry the most beautiful, wonderful girl there is.