Of the Many Different Types of Friends

Friends are treasures. I think especially for me, they are priceless.

But. There are many different types of friends. And today, I am thankful for a certain type.

That's the type of friend who you don't see very often.

Odd?
Maybe.

But I love these friends. For a special purpose too. I have friends who live in Springville, Texas, Malaysia, Japan, Pennsylvania, Thailand, Paris, etc. There are probably more countries and cities all around the world where my old friends reside, but sadly, I don't know where. This is because I have failed to keep up with their lives. Some of them I have completely failed to keep in touch with. But some of them, I haven't.

For example:
A month or so ago, my friend from Malaysia randomly showed up in Utah county! His name is Sean and I hadn't seen him for ten years. But he found me on facebook, knew I lived in Utah, and decided to email me saying we should visit. So, we did. I met him at Kneaders. He came to my house and saw my siblings and parents and my home. We talked about memories and Malaysia and why he was here. All good things. I confess, we weren't very good friends in Malaysia. But our families were friends, and we were one of the few LDS families living there, therefore, we were friends. And seeing each other was exciting. Renewing that and remembering that, was exciting.

In a little more than a week, my best friend from Malaysia is visiting for Thanksgiving! Her name is Minami Funakoshi. I haven't seen her in ten years either, but, unlike Sean, Minami and I were best friends. I have a collection of secret notes we passed to one another in elementary school and vast piles of pictures of us. Swimming and cooking and going on fieldtrips, and our halloween costumes, and birthday parties. She is a beautiful painter and I saved a pencil and a bunny she painted for me. I moved back to Utah in 4th grade, and I cried and cried when I gave her a hug goodbye. I thought I would never see her again in my life. But in one week I am! When I first found out she was coming to see me, I couldn't sleep for days! I am so excited I can hardly contain it. She will always been my friend even though this time round, it truly might be the last time I see her. I will never know. But I will always think of her on her birthday and tell others about how she was a part of my childhood.

Then yesterday,

I went to Springville to see some of my friends in a musical. I have a couple friends who live there and I see none of them very often. Some once a month. Some once a year. But when I saw them yesterday I was jumping off the walls in excitement! I'm not personal with them, they aren't my best friends ever, but they are my friends. And because I never see them, there is always a joy in talking to them and catching up and remembering all the things we've done together! Admirable adventures, daring dates, funny films, beautiful bikerides, magical dances, smelly shirts, pen pals, texting buddies, shirking sheep, and lots of loud laughing. What could be better?

Then there's also friends who perhaps, don't go to your school, or you don't have any classes with. But, you admire them with all your heart and keep those friendships up because of the type of people and examples they are to you. They have the capability to cheer you up and to be there for you unexpectedly. All those friends you hope respect and honor the person you are, the same way you respect and honor them. The ones you love and adore but might not hang out with on the weekends or even see very often. I am thankful for these friends.

Obviously, I love all my close friends. But, I want to say a special thanks to those friends who maybe aren't so close to me. The ones who might not know how much I love and admire them. The people who when I see my face lights up with joy and I run to hug them because it has been too long! The people who light up with joy when they see me too. The ones I sometimes miss with all my heart.

Oh, to love and be loved!