FRIENDS: The family you wish you had.

21 years-ago today, the television show Friends aired for the first time. Friends was announce as Hollywood's favorite by the Hollywood Reporter just earlier this month.

I grew up on Friends literally my entire life. I remember watching the show with my parents when the episodes first aired. When I was in high school I would talk on the phone with my friend Ashley and we would watch Friends on Nick at Nite together. I begged my parents to buy the box set of all 10 seasons for Christmas BEFORE I found out they would all be on Netflix soon.

I absolutely, without a doubt, love Friends...

Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Chandler, Ross, and Joey showed us all how we should treat friendship. We've seen so many different stages of each friends' life and how the friendship adapted.

They taught us how to be there for one another. They taught us to be compassionate and how to be true with our friends. They characters were closer to each other than they were their own family.

Family is the group of people that are related, you do not have a choice. Friends are the people that you choose to be around.

Friendship offers mutual respect.
Friendship offers love.
Friendship offers honesty.
Friendship offers defense.
Friendship offers loyalty.
Friendship offers intimacy.
Friendship offers understanding.
Friendship offers a sense of being.
And so much more...

Friendship is the more ideal form of family. That doesn't mean that there isn't family members that you are close to and love dearly; in this case, they can be your friends as well. What it means is that you surround yourself with the people that you care for and you know care for you back.  People you have a mutual understanding and interest with.

My friends are my family. I am happy to have all the Rachels, Monicas, Phoebes, Chandlers, Rosses, and Joeys in my life.

To all my friends please remember... "I'll be there for you!"