Fall Back Friend

Do you ever wonder how people see you? I mean, how and when you are thought of? I do... a lot. I think I spend a lot of time be-friending people. I enjoy friends and I like to spend time with them. I have all types of different kinds of friends. Ones that I see on occasion and have a good laugh with. Ones that I have known for 15+ years and always pick up right where we left off, even after being apart for years. I have the ones I see several times a week and always enjoy and even some that I see several times a week and don't particularly enjoy much.

Well, I have decided that I must be the "Fall Back Friend". Yes, that's right. I am the friend that people rely on when their other friends fall through. I am okay with that though. And I will tell you why....

(Specific Names and Places and Have Been Changed To Protect the "Innocent")

Recently I have acquired quite a lot of women in my arsenal of "friends". We all are around the same age, with children the same age, and in the same stage of life. We see each other at church, at play groups, and at school pick up/drop off. We are always polite. We laugh with each other and we get together in the evenings when I our husbands get home to have a "night off". They are fun women and I enjoy them  very much.

Unfortunately, I have seen a pattern lately. When "Patty" fights with "Janey", she calls me to vent to and hang out with. When "Marcia" gets irritated with "Megan", she calls me to fill her now open schedule with. When "Karen" gets irritated with "Carey", I get a whole lot of unexpected phone calls. Well, it started to bother me, but then I realized its ok.

First off, I enjoy all of these women and welcome a phone call from any of them anytime. Second, if I am the one that people think of to call when they are feeling down, I am honored to be there for them. Third, I enjoy being a peace keeper. I would much rather everyone get along and have a good time then relive the high school days where girls were evil to one another.

I may not be at the top of the invite list or the one everyone flocks to at a party, but at least I was invited, right?

So, in summary... I am ok being whatever kind of friend a girl needs because when it comes down to it, sometimes a girl just needs a friend.