When I woke up this morning, blissfully late, for once, at nine o'clock (my midthirties body tends to wake up at six or seven most days. It's handy for most days but does mean I miss those long lazy lie-ins of my teens and twenties), I checked twitter as I made a coffee and got ready for the day. And there I discovered that today is International Day of Friendship. Which is handy, because I've been meaning to write about friendship for a few weeks now. So what better timing could there be than on the day we celebrate friendship itself?

It goes without saying that I love my current friends. I also have a lot of love for the friends who I've lost touch with, fallen out with, or that I simply don't see enough as the tides of life have swept us apart. I'm a big believer that people come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime, and I'm constantly marvelling at the gifts and lessons my friendships have brought me.

Growing up as a military brat, friendships always had a transitory, befriend-quick-cut-ties-quick element to them. It'd hard to believe that you'll be friends forever when at any moment you can be posted hundreds of miles away. But these friendships taught me about the power of connection, the joy of shared passions.

Going to a boarding school where the friendship groupings felt pretty darn Game of Thrones was a challenge too. For someone who grew up feeling like she didn't belong, the dorms and forms and constant company was a blessing, but the politics of friendship were at times exhausting. These friendships taught me about loyalty, honesty, and being true to yourself.

Joining a school at sixteen where a good portion of your classmates had known each other since primary school was challenging, but by then I was far more comforatble in myself and I made some good, silly friends there, many of whom I still see from time to time, popping up on facebook in new jobs, with newborns, getting married, and a few of whom are real, true friends.

And then came university, and after that, adulthood, and a raft of women who have changed me, challenged me, inspired me, loved me, cheered me on, believed in me and made my life a richer, happier, more wonderful place. I've made friends through work, hobbies, blogging, mutual friends and I am so, so grateful for the people I get to do life with. Some people were friends for a few months or a few years but I'm grateful for what they taught me, and what they brought into my life. Some people have stayed the course and the cast of my life is one I'm thankful for, every single day.

To have friends to love is one of the chief joys of my life, and in case I don't say it enough (I always worry about that), thank you thank you thank you to my wonderful friends. I truly don't deserve you, but I'm so blessed to know each and every one of you. Thank you for making my life the beautiful place it is. Watching you all as you absolutely crush it, writing beautiful things; creating gorgeous homes; nailing difficult, challenging jobs; parenting adorable children (and puppies and kits, of course); traveling, growing and learning is the absolute best. I love you.

And to close, some soppy pictures - just a few moments with some of my friends. Note to self though: get some more recent pics with some of the crew! Choosing these pictures I'm reminded how lucky I am, truly.