Friends

A year ago, I proudly counted nearly four-hundred Facebook friends. My wall, littered with game invites, pictures I didn't recognize and information I found terribly uninteresting, moved so quickly, I couldn't keep up with the people who mattered to me. Worse, it seemed as though I surrounded myself with people who didn't think I mattered. Slowly, but surely, I unfriended most of them; many of whom I didn't really know. Some never commented on or liked any of my posts, so I figure they didn't care to read about what went on in my life. A few just seemed so negative all the time, I found myself rolling my eyes whenever they posted something. That includes a handful I found downright offensive. Today, I have eighty-two Facebook friends. Twenty-nine of those are actually family, by blood or marriage. Nine are the family I'm related to by circumstance, by choice. Of the forty-four remaining, there are only five I've never met in real life. And I'm happier than ever with my friends list.

Now, my wall is a mural. An artistic array of the adorable idiosyncrasies and potent personalities of people I love, respect and/or admire. I watch their family videos, listen to the songs they like and read the articles they post about the things that inspire their passions, and I feel like a part of their lives. Only nine of those eighty-two live near enough for me to actually spend time with, and I work or live, at least part-time, with all nine of them. Some of my most supportive friends --the ones who give me strength when I'm battling meat cravings, who wish me luck on race day, who post superhero pictures on my timeline and read my blog, even the most  face-palm-inducing posts about the absurdity that is my life-- are miles away. We might not be able to hang out on Sundays or swing by for dinner on a random Tuesday, but they're some of the best friends I've ever had and I cherish them. I feel like I matter to them and it's the best feeling in the world. Those three hundred didn't deserve to be in the same category with these eighty-two.

So, if you haven't done it in a while, maybe it's time to go through your friends list and figure out who really deserves to be on that list.