On Friendship: Part 2

“When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching – they are your family.” – Jim Butcher

I honestly can’t remember the specific moment Mil and I met. I know it was in band class in sixth grade. I’m sure I thought she was funny – she has always been funny. Beyond that though the details are blurry. I’m too young be experiencing memory loss, it’s just that it’s always seemed as though there was never a time when we weren’t friends.

Mil is one of my few friends who blurs the lines between friendship and family. I don’t remember when I first met my mom or my brother, because they’ve just always been in my life. It’s the same way with Mil. I’m hard pressed to recall a time when she wasn’t one of the first people I called in a crisis. In high pressure situations most would call their mother, but instead of mom, I call Mil. She has seen me cry more times than I’d care to admit. She knows all of my screw-ups and my flaws. And throughout it all and in spite of it all, she has stood by me without flinching. If that’s not family, I don’t know what is.

XOXO, Jules

One of many birthday cards from over the years