Circle Of Friends

We have a very close-knit circle of friends. It's interesting to note that this group is not any particular age range. Our friends include children that play with our kids, teenagers whose parents we are close too, and even older people in their 70's and 80's.

My husband and I are in our early 30's, but beyond family responsibilities, we still act a lot younger than might be expected in many ways. However, due to some of the hard knocks we've experienced early on in life, we are also old-beyond-our-years in many ways. It's a strange way to be, but we've worked it to our advantage allowing us to include individuals from all stages of life in our circle of friends.

There's one family in particular that we are especially close to. The father is a hardworking guy in his mid-50's. I guess we view him as sort of a father-figure and will often go to him for advice or to work through everyday problems that arise. His wife is a very cool woman, in her early 50's, with a killer fashion sense, great cooking skills and terrific tips on saving money and keeping your house in order. She's also a very good friend and is always willing to listen to any little troubles we might be having, or take the kids for a few hours if we get in a jam. Then there's there 19 year old daughter. Surprisingly, she has no problem hanging out with us 30-somethings, even if our children are around. She thinks we're a lot of fun and somehow we hold more of a draw then other young people in her own age group. Similarly, we have a very close bond with her younger brother who is only 17. When my husband and this young guy get together they are ridiculous. They play and fight like they're both young kids and have so much in common it's almost scary. The amazing thing is, no matter who is together at the time, we all get along famously together. Our children are never left out - this family always makes a special effort to make the kids feel involved and wanted.

To us, this is what friendship is all about. Our circle of friends may not be vast, but it is full of the sort of people that add a quality and richness to our lives that we can't live without!