I feel so blessed to have the friends that I do. There are some really great people in my life, and each one plays a different role. Unfortunately I can't list everyone who I consider to be my friend or go into detail as to what role they play in my life. I do, however, want to highlight a few interactions this past few weeks that were revitalizing and that reminded me of the value of good friends.
The picture of the Brooklyn Bridge, below, was taken two weekends ago while at the South Street Seaport with my college buddy Okwui. (It was taken from his Treo palm pilot - not a bad shoot for a PDA camera.) Okwui is the type of friend who I love and respect dearly. He was part of a group of guys called the Brothers of Kuumba, who I used to sing a cappella music with in college. Hanging with him always lifts my spirits. Being inindated in school with problem sets and term papers, I needed some balance to the seriousness. Enter: Okwui. He has a calming and jovial spirit, and we can spend all day long laughing and joking, relaxing and de-stressing (and we did :).
That same weekend I was hanging out with a long time friend, Keren. Keren and I don't talk all the time; we both lead busy lives. But when we catch up, its like we pick up right where we left off. She has been trusted friend for a long while. We made it through high school and college together. I remember freshman year in Boston when we would meet up every weekend (usually I dragged her out to my school :) She was a small island of "home" in a new and unfamiliar environment. She was someone who knew me. Someone who I trusted. Someone I could relax with. Someone with whom I could do anything or nothing at all. The best part is that 5 years later, she still is.
Both of these people have been my friends for a long time running. But there is something to say for new friends and growing relationships. While I techically I have known her for almost two years, I really have gotten to know the short-haired verson over the past couple months. Even in this small amount of time, Molly has become a dear friend with whom I feel comfortable to share almost anything (well, maybe not some classified, government secrets or something ;) She has been a voice of reason with whom I can share my thoughts and who will give me honest, unfiltered feed back - things I need to hear, not always what I want to hear. I thought it was odd that she considered inviting me to her wedding when I had only known her (well, having been reintroduced to her) for a couple months. But that is the kind of love she has in her heart, and I will be honored to attend.
Speaking of weddings, I must send a shout to my boy RJ (also from Brothers), who is getting married in Hawaii in April. I wasn't sure I would be able to attend initially. But the more I thought about it, I realized that I had to review my priorities. If there is a time to put out some cash to celebrate, now is that time! RJ is another friend that helped me get through the rigirs of engineering with music and humor. He is the type of person that I just enjoy being around. His sense of humor and his personality brighten my day. And besides that, I love to hear him sing :) (Oh! and my Grandmom has a little crush on him too!) When I think about how he was such a special part of my college experience, I can't pass up an opportunity to share in one of the greatest moments of his life.
So guess, if you have read this far, I owe you some conclusion to the rambling. From what I've written above, it would seem that my closest friends are those who do for me. While there is some element of truth to that, I like to believe that I can do the same for them, and I try to let them know they are appreciated. Now, there are a lot of people who are not mentioned (the top three being God, Kelley, and my mom :). This is not to say everyone else is of a lesser value to me. I just chose these guys to illustrate my point: though my friends are all different with unique backgrounds, personalities, and intrestes, and though I don't communicate with all of them with the same frequency or intimacy, they all help to shape who I am - they help to define Q - and I truly appreciate every last one.
