Friends that become Family

          I remember being told when I was young that "you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family." But as I have grown older I learned that in fact you can choose your family. The friends that you have chosen become your family. 

          Four and a half years when I started college as a lonely and scared freshman I had no idea that within the next 4 years I would meet the most amazing group of people. I had no idea that the friendships I would invest myself in would teach me so much about life, love, and happiness. In only 4 years, people I had never known before became my family. I was able to spend this past weekend with a good few of my best friends from college and realized how often I take these friendship for granted, how little I say thank you and how big of a roll they have played in me becoming the woman I am today. 

          It was a bit daunting moving away after college to a city where I knew no one and trying to make friends because deep down I know that I have some of the best friends that I could ever ask for. I have friends that I consider my family. They are the friends I know that I can call no matter what time of day it is. They are people who will be standing next to me on my wedding day (whenever that may be...). They are the people I will be know and aunts and uncles to my children one day, and hopefully our children will be best friends. They are the type of friends who decide last minute to fly in to surprise you for your birthday. I know that their home is always open to me. I don't have to worry about their new friends replacing me. They have seen me at my best and my worse. No matter what happens they are always there to love and support me. They are my family, and I wouldn't have it any other way.