Hello, Friend!

"Hello, friend!" that's how Christina answers the phone when I call. I have no doubt many others get the same greeting when they call, but when I get it, it makes me feel good and I'm immediately happy that I dialed her number.

Like many friendships, ours began when we were working together. We looked to each other for feedback, bounced ideas back and forth on various projects, and enjoyed an easy camaraderie as we got to know each other.

Some of the best stories are about how a friendship started. Sometimes we connect with people who enjoy the things we ourselves enjoy. We meet them at concerts, sporting events, bookstores, and other places we go to absorb what interests us.

Some friendships start as we glance around and see a new neighbor give us a small wave as we're toting boxes into our new home. These friendships, these people, are important in our lives and the impact they have on us last a lifetime.

We recently asked our community of women how long they’ve known their best friends and their answers gave us a tiny glimpse into the quality, strength, and depth of what some friendships can be.

Our ladies talked about friendships that started in middle school, high school, and college. Some spoke of how they made friends after moving to Louisiana.

One lady said she's had one friend longer than the age she claims to be! How funny is that! Several ladies shared lifelong friendships, and a few shared the loss of friends in recent years.

It was an honor to read these ladies' responses and a gentle reminder to appreciate the friends in our lives.

We were also inspired to put together a small collection of quotes about friendship, feel free to save any that speak to you.

Be sure to join us on Facebook to share your answers to our "Ask a Lady" questions!

https://www.facebook.com/louisianaladies