beautiful friends

I was reminded today (as I have been often recently), of the importance of a true friend.

I saw a friend today who I haven't seen for years.

And thought, as I often have, how beautiful she is.

I am fortunate to have many friends, of many shapes and sizes, colours, backgrounds, with varying personalities and traits. I wouldn't say I have a BEST friend, because to me, that is kind of like saying I have a favourite child. I love all of my friends, with all of their differences, for different reasons. Just as they are all in my life for different reasons.

But what I have realized in the last couple of years is that all of my friends are beautiful. And I don't mean that in a sappy way. It's just that, I don't keep people in my life if being around them doesn't make me happy, fulfilled, or improve my life in some way. And the better I feel when I am around someone, the more attractive I find them, physically and otherwise.

All of my friends contribute something meaningful to my life. Some have the same spiritual beliefs. I admire certain qualities in others, like their courage, or practicality, to the point where I will think in certain situations, "What would Robin do?", or, "What would Janel do?" There are others who I can just be completely myself around, without worrying for one second about what I am saying, wearing or doing.

I don't think that I am just an extraordinarily lucky person to have friends who are all physically beautiful. But I do think that the non-physical qualities of my friends are what trains my eyes to believe that they are more physically attractive than your average woman.

Yes, I've heard, "beauty is skin deep", "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", blah, blah, blah. But those were someone else's words.

And now I get it.