I know this whole internet world is supposed to be make-believe. It's supposed to be filled with trolls and pedophiles and all of that, but this.
This is a bunch of kids who have known each other their entire lives. While they live in the same city, it is literally an hour from one of their homes to another and then another hour to the other and so on. They would have never met if not for the internet.
I mean, technically it's that we met online and then our kids sort of had to follow us wherever we went. Whatever.
The point is these kids have friends they've met through activities and school and all sorts of things, but they also have a bunch of friends they met because of the internet. Sometimes they go months without seeing each other, but each time they do see each other, they instantly fall into that comfortable sort of rhythm you find with people you've known and liked for a long time. It takes 0.0000000000001 seconds for them to run off squealing with delight. Ruckus laughter rises from their playtime.
They truly get along so very well. They're all very different with a wide variety of interests and backgrounds and lives, but they click. Perfectly.
You can even take away a kid here and there or toss in a new one, and they still get along like the best of friends.
It's pretty amazing.
They've been doing this friendship thing for a long time now (photo from 2012) (OMG).
And I positively guarantee that when they are grown adults with children of their own, they'll still stay in touch. It might be through an occasional phone call, or maybe an in-person meeting. Or maybe they'll stay in touch via the internet.