Friends, Freunden, Amigos, Amis

About two or three years out of college I remember having the thought that I would possibly never have another new friend. I was friendly with several of my co-workers. I maintained a lot of friendships from my past, but for some reason, at that point in my life, I felt like new relationships were going to be limited... at least on a deeper, most meaningful level of exchange where a person is more than an acquaintance and becomes a true friend.

I was eventually proven wrong, of course. I can't explain why I maintained that idea for a while that my window for making friends had closed, but I am happy to report that it opened again. There are new friends to be made after age 20! (Just in case any of you were worried.)

Of course the very nature of how we define friendship these days has changed, as well. If I "friend" is someone found on Facebook, then I have exactly 323 of them. Since I have chosen to draw lines on Facebook and do not accept friend requests from anyone I have not actually met in real life, one might assume that is a fairly accurate number. But honestly, since one meeting is all I require, the bulk of those people would probably fall into the acquaintance category or are simply people I once knew and was once at least friendly with.

I have blog friends, of course, that pre-date Facebook and these friendships, quite honestly, generally feel more real, or at least more intimate, that many of the relationships I have with people I've met in person. Because I've followed them for years and I've gotten to know them through shared quests or philosophies... perhaps simply because we share a common language in writing and comfort sharing words... these friends have grown to be a part of my life as much as those I see daily or weekly or even just occasionally (and the work at coordinating calendars is always totally worth it). 

Lory, a fellow writer and mother, is one of those I was drawn to for our common ground. She recently gave me a Liebster Award, an award intended to connect bloggers, specifically those with less than 200 followers. I admit, that I had to consult my resident linguist (hubby), because Liebster -- in my mind -- was a little more intimate than friend, and my online translator defined it as "a sweetheart, beloved person, darling." I'll take it!

In the blog world, it is a friendship award, and I am honored to receive it.

And so the rules are:

• Show my thanks to the blogger who gave me the award by linking back to them.
• Revel my top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
• Post the award on my blog.
• Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the internet--other writers.
• And best of all -- have fun and spread the karma.

#1 - I will return the gift to Lory. I did not even know she had a German maiden name until this award came up, but I did know she has a passion for writing and the reality of juggling the writing life with a life with kids and those are the two things that have drawn me to read her blog for years now. I believe Lory and I met on a writing mom's list. Somehow, somewhere, she was listed as a Kansas writer and that's always a clue to me that there might be a connection. She has since left Kansas, but we still visit each other's blogs regularly.

#2 - I will send out to my friend HeyMom whom I do know by real name and have met in real life though she has since fled the land of Oz, as well. (What's with all these people leaving Kansas?) She is one of those creative mothers who also unschools and I love reading her thoughts and following her adventures in gardening and making her place in the world.

#3 - Although there is a chance Cheryl falls outside of the 200 followers category, I can not, in good conscience, post a friendship award without adding her name to the list. Cheryl and I met via blogs before I moved to Emporia and has been my introduction to this town (and so many towns in Kansas) from the start. I love when blogs and real life meet. She often has a way of making me fall a little more in love with Kansas.

#4 - Shala is an artist in multiple mediums and I've enjoyed getting to know "inside" brain of my real life homeschool friend and fellow mom. Besides, though both Kansans, the distance between us makes getting together rather difficult. I am happy to call her friend.  

#5 -  I also select Nancy for this award as she is a writer (yes, Kansan) who encourages other writers to create and submit and take chances and try new writerly things. She is a very accomplished, yet down-to-earth writer who has practical advice for writing as well as encouraging words.

Thanks for the award, Lory, and I'm looking forward to seeing that work-in-progress of yours published one day!