Rule #12: Real friendships don't fade with time

These two ladies are some of my very best friends. The one on the left is Karyn, I feel like I have known her all my life...it's been 7 years. She is the only person to date that has crossed my work-friend barrier. For whatever reason I make friends at work, but I rarely, if ever, do anything with them outside of work. Karyn is the one exception. I met her while I was working at South Davis Community Hospital. She was another CNA that was extraordinarily friendly and someone so sincere, I felt comfortable around her instantly. We both got into Weber State's Nursing program the same year. Then we became school friends. (I had stopped working at SDCH). Then, she became my roommate. I'm not going to lie, even though I loved Karyn, I was a little nervous to live with her. You just never know how your personal lives will fit together. I was lucky and we fit with ease. (At least in my mind, you never know if it was easy or difficult for Karyn to live with me). And we've been friends ever since. She's someone that I know I can share anything with, and she won't judge me, she'll just listen, try to offer advice if she's got it. Or she'll honestly tell me she doesn't know what I should do. It's nice to be told that you're not the only one who's clueless sometimes.

The woman in the middle is Marianne. She's the reason we got together today. It was her birthday last week, and we always try to find time to get together for the birthday celebration. Marianne was also one of my roommates. I got lucky with her too. She had moved in and I think I must have been working all weekend, because I didn't meet her for several days. When I did we talked as if we were old friends. Sharing moments in our lives that normally wouldn't have been shared for months, if not years. There's always been an unspoken understanding between us.

When the three of us lived together we were more than roommates. We were a family. I'm so grateful that we've been able to maintain our friendships. It might be months between visits, but every time we get together...we just settle in like we never left...like it's old times.

Only better.