For my 29th birthday I wanted to do a photo shoot capturing some of the special aspects of my life, one of them being my friends! Who better to execute my vision than Charles Beason? Each of my friends are very special to me and have become more like sisters. When we are together it’s nothing but laughter, love and more laughter. I have been friends with Paulette for about two years now, Candeis, Alana and Amanda since college, and Meghan and Sarah since kindergarten – we go way back!
One thing I’ve learned over the years from my friendship with these ladies is that healthy relationships between women do exist. These friendships have lasted the test of time because they were formed as a result of shared values and interests. We have been able to share meaningful memories because of the things we’ve done together and the experiences we’ve shared – school, classes, groups/organizations, traveling, life’s challenges, etc. It’s such a blessing to look back on the years I’ve spent with these ladies and see how far God has brought us individually and collectively.
One thing I’ve realized about friendship is that to have good friends, you have to be a good friend. You have to make the effort. You have to check in just to chat (by whatever means because I usually don’t do the phone lol) and remember special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. The older we get and the more our lives evolve, the harder this can be because people get busy! With spouses, children, jobs and school consuming our lives sometimes spending time and/or checking in with friends can fall by the wayside and one day you look up and realize you haven’t talked or seen each other in a couple weeks. With the way life is set up, with ups and downs, it’s important to try to check in and/or spend time with your closest friends as often as possible.
What better way to catch up with friends than a photo shoot?! Take a look at my birthday photo shoot with my friends as we enjoy each other and the beautiful (oh-so HOT) weather in Huntsville.
Over the years I’ve come to truly understand what being a friend really means:
- A friend is someone who uplifts, encourages and empowers you and wants the best for you.
- A friend is there to listen to your concerns, worries or issues and ready to share person honest advice and/or opinions when needed.
- Friends should feel comfortable in being themselves. A friend should not try to control you, make you feel like you have to change or put you in a box just for their own personal comfort.
- A friend supports you and is honest with you no matter how painful the honesty may be. Friends should be able to handle conflict and address issues that may arise.
- Friends should be able to communicate and recognize when communication needs improvement.
- Friends enjoy spending time together and even if it has been a while, friends should be able to pick up where they left off.
- A friend is humble, willing to admit wrongs and apologize for any mistakes or wrong doings. Friends don’t hold grudges, they demonstrate forgiveness and compassion.
Friendship is a journey and I’m glad to have spent my years with some amazing friends. There are ups and downs, but the greatest part about friendship is that you learn from life’s challenges and work to establishing and maintaining a healthy friendship. Friends can grow at different seasons and times, but it is important to maintain the foundation by being supportive and allowing growth to occur. Thanks to my ladies who were willing to be a part of my shoot and those who wanted to be part but could not, I love you all and hope that I have been half as good a friend to you as you have been to me 🙂
Until next time…
