Good solid friends that are forward thinking with great values are irreplaceable and their positive effect is limitless. I say this as I prepare for an upcoming trip back to my hometown of Minneapolis. I am going to celebrate an old friends birthday and I am just beaming with excitement. In everyone's busy lives, especially after school is over, sometimes it is hard to stay connected. I was fortunate enough to have some really incredible people in my life while I was growing up and most of them remain to this day. Things, standards, priorities and motivators, in our lives, have changed drastically but there are many constants. I wish I could say it was intentional, that I sought out these amazing people that remain in my life currently, but I am unable to do that. At the time in my life when I met most of these great friends I was not always making conscious good decisions. I guess it becomes normal to relate being under 18 with either not thinking through decisions, not caring or just flat out making poor decisions. Well if that was the norm, I was a correct statistic. I guess what I am trying to say is, if at all possible, be conscious of the friends you choose to entertain. I got lucky back then but I have learned from it and I go out of my way to be conscious about the individuals that I choose to entertain today. Also, if you happen to be under 18 and do make a conscious decision to choose your friends wisely, POWER TO YA, POWER TO YOU!!!! The impact that forward thinking people with positive goals (that stay focused on those goals) have is just day brightening. I could never count the times I have been pulled out of a dark tunnel by a forward thinking friend who consoled me by simply reminding me of a positive personal goal I hadn't yet reached. Or could never count how many out loud belly laughs and exhausted facial muscles I've had from smiling so big when we achieve those goals and blissful moments together. Like I said, be picky and you will not be disappointed. I know I haven't been.