A letter to the friends who have changed me "for good"

There is a beautiful song called "For Good" that sings about friendship. My favorite line says, "Because I knew you, I have been changed for good." I have many friends who have changed me for good. And I am so blessed by each and everyone of them. I would like to take a moment to thank them.

Chances are that you know you have impacted my life because I like to tell you. I send you random texts at bizarre times and out of the blue thanking you or complimenting you on something that I appreciate about you. You probably know that you matter to me, because I try to tell you as often as I can without seeming like a crazy psycho lady. I really love you a lot.

Some of you are still in my life. And you play in active role day to day. Others of you have come and gone, and not in a bad way, sometimes life just takes us in a different direction and we move on. But that doesn't mean that I stopped loving you or caring about you. And when I see your posts on Facebook, it fills my heart with joy to see you doing well.

I want to thank you for listening to my tearful phone calls. Thank you for letting me complain for the millionth time. I want to thank you for the encouraging words on the days when life is just a little rough. I am blessed when you spend time with me, even if we aren't doing anything of significance. You put up with a lot of my craziness, and my times of stupid silliness, and that blesses my heart. Thank you for going along with my off the wall ideas, especially when they are spontaneous. Thank you for being a constant. And in this crazy selfish world, thank you for recognizing that friendship works both ways. Thank you for being honest with me, even when it hurts. I cannot tell you how much it means that you make me a priority. And when you text me first, well it just brightens my whole day.

You have taught me a lot. You have taught me that I can love someone in a way that I can not even describe. I have learned that I am a lot stronger than what I was giving myself credit for. You have let me be who I am, and when I am with you, I am 100% myself. You have showed me love, even when it may have been difficult to love me. Because of you, I have confidence. When I am with you, my heart is so full of joy that is feels like it might actually explode.

Family plays a big role in shaping us into who we are, but friends also play a role. I would not be who I am had it not been for each and everyone of you special people. Thank you for impacting my life and for being a part of this fantastic journey. I am so blessed.

You are deeply loved and so appreciated,
Charlotte Lainey