For You Guys.

My friends aren't confined to a zip code.

It's a strange thought. I have friends that spread all across the world. From Germany, to Italy, to Vermont, to California, to Texas, to Virginia, to right here in Mississippi.

It's a blessing and a curse.

I've fallen in love with their personalities. "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one." ― C.S. Lewis. When you don't see them for days on end, that's all you've got to go on.

I love interacting with these brilliant people. I got in trouble once when I was in 8th grade, because I skyped my friends too much.

They make school, in a way, worth it. Obviously you don't go to school to make friends, but they make it fun. Picture going to school without having friends there. Pretty boring hypothetical. It's multiplied when all you're doing is staring at a screen all day. I'll quote Lewis again, " Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art…. It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival."

But the fact remains.

I interact with my friends through a computer.

And that sucks.

I've spent less than twenty days with all of them. Some of them I haven't even spent an hour with.

It's no surprise that those five to six days I get to see them are the highlight of my year. I treasure every moment I get with them. When I look back to that week, it seemed to last forever, and if I had the choice, I'd repeat that week over and over again. It's always the highlight of my year.

There's not a day that goes by that I don't miss them. 

We, the youth group, joke around about my homeschool-ness all the time. I really enjoy the stereotype jokes actually, they're usually pretty hilarious. But lately one joke in particular has gotten under my skin a little.

I'll give you an example.

A bunch of us guys were hanging out one evening, and one of these guys had gone on a date with a girl, pretty recently. So naturally, being guys, we like to mess with each other. I asked him, "So did you ask her in person or over text?"

"In person." He responded.

/Thumbs up and wink of approval/

But then one of the others chimed in.

"Well at least he doesn't have to go on dates over Skype."

 ...

Ouch. 

No harm done, honestly. It's a joke, pretty witty and funny actually. Yet, it kinda hit a nerve. Just touching on the fact that I don't get to see my friends and classmates but once a year.

 (Just to be clear here, I have NOT gone on dates over skype.)

I guess this turned into a rant, which is alright. But even though sometimes it is hard, and depressing, I'm incredibly thankful for the friendships that I've been able to have. The way that I've made those friendships make that week even better.

"Close friends are truly life's treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. With gentle honesty, they are there to guide and support us, to share our laughter and our tears. Their presence reminds us that we are never really alone." 
- Vincent van Gogh -