Friends on Facebook ... are they really my friends?

This is a post that I made to my Facebook page this evening, I thought perhaps it should have been here but since so few people come here, and so many go to Facebook, I shared it there and just copied it here.  It's long but I was feeling pretty grateful tonight and thought I'd share.

How many friends do you have?  I've been asked by people how I could possibly be friends with 172 people because that's how many people I have on my friend list here on Facebook.  Well ... here's the answer.  I know all of the people on my friend list in some way, shape or form.  I have not met all of them ... in fact 28 of them alone are friends I met online through various scrapbooking websites.  I do call them friends and count them among some of my very best friends.  I have met probably 10 or 12 of them in the past.  We felt comfortable enough to meet because of all the interactions we had online.  We shared personal information, secrets, loves, losses, betrayals, illnesses, good news, bad news ... pretty much everything.  When one of my scrappy friends would go off the radar, we would check on one another, we exchanged mailing addresses, phone numbers, birth dates and shared photos through our scrapped pages.  I haven't met all of these people, and sadly may not ever be able to, but occasionally we get the chance.  In moving here to California, I am mere miles from one of those scrappy friends.  Both she and I will meet for the first time this Saturday and even better, we are meeting up with another one of our online friends who is visiting from Utah with her family.  It's going to be so nice and I am very excited.  Michele and Marcie, I truly can't wait.  I am currently rooting for one of my scrappy friends whom I have met as she battles cancer, she's going to beat it though, she's got courage and hope and lots of spirit, if I were cancer I would be sorry I picked her to attack.  Gabi girl ... I love you.  Monica ... is my best friend, and the first time we met I truly thought I wouldn't like her one bit, gosh was I wrong, we hit it off and have built a wonderful friendship over the years, I've even traveled to NC to visit her and stay in her home with her family numerous times.  I hate that we are on opposite coasts now, but she knows she's always in my thoughts and owns a huge piece of my heart.  Patti, Abby and Bernie ... my southern NJ friends ... we've all met as well, and had a blast getting to know each other.  Loved every minute we spent together in Wildwood and then again right near your homes.  Carrie ... my CT. scrappy friend ... we spent lots of time and money together, shopping for supplies and then scrapping together for hours on end, we enjoyed each others families and I was so sad to say goodbye, but you're on the move again soon as well, and I know our paths will cross again.  There are so many I haven't mentioned ... you all know who you are if you scrapped online with me, I hope we get to meet someday as well.  

Some of you are friends met through Brian, teachers he worked with and loved with all his heart, and college friends whom he spoke about until the day he passed away.  

I have a whole bunch of new friends since moving here to California, most of them people I've met through Patrick, we're having lots of fun getting to know one another ... I never thought that these wonderful people who Patrick hung out with and called friends would like me too.  :-)

And then of course there is the family members ... I have lots of them, sisters, my daughter Morgan, her family on her dads side (I still count them as mine, I'm kind of greedy that way), cousins, aunts, uncles, 2nd cousins and there kids and the list goes on and on.  I love them ... and miss them ... and I'm so happy they are in my life.  

Friends ... I love you all, and I'm so happy you're all a part of my life.

Family ... I didn't get to pick you, but I'm a lucky girl to have so many to love and to be loved right back by so many.

Thought I should let you all know, because I'm not sure I express my appreciation nearly enough ... <3!

Thanks for stopping by my friends!!!