Alexandrite

Alexandrite is a uniquely rare gemstone, it can actually undergo dramatic shifts in color depending on what kind of light it's in. It is a gem that has a different color depending on your viewing angle; a gemstone that shifts colors when you rotate it in your hand, is what professionals in gem related fields call "pleochroic". it can also change colors when viewed under an artificial light source. (In natural sunlight, the gem appears greenish blue; in soft incandescent light, the gem appears reddish purple)


My three best friends LOVE buying rings. They all love to look at jewelry, try on 

jewelry, buy jewelry, wear jewelry, talk about jewelry, complement each others jewelry, and tease me about my lack of rings/jewelry. Let's just say I don't share their affinity for jewelry, I wear it if I have to... but it is not a serious source of enjoyment for me. (they know this about me and love me for it anyways) 
When we are out about the town together we never fail to make a stop at multiple stores and shops to look at rings. Even if they are wearing three on their hand already. When we (the "fab-four" as I affectionately call us) hit up the farmers market, we make a stop at every ring and jewelry stand possible.... Probably multiple times. 
I can tell their faces light up when we stop! Their arms immediately reach out to touch any ring and every ring they see. There is a constant cloud of "ooooo's" and "ahhhh's" that loom above us as the three of them rummage through those padded boxes with rows and rows of rings. Their voices get higher and softer as they review each ring like they have never seen one before. 
While they are doing that, I usually have this glazed over look, and not much interest in touching them. They might ask me what I think about one or two, I either make my "I can't believe you are even touching that" face, or shrug it off and say "it doesn't suck." It's not that I hate what they are doing, I just don't share their love for rings.... But I share in our friendship, and watching them enjoy and bond over something brings me joy. 
Today, we went to a local fair, where we stopped at multiple ring stands, which resulted in the purchase of a few by my friends! And while I was standing there, staring at the long table of ring options, I thought of Alexandrite, I thought of how rare it was (almost 1000 times rarer than diamonds) and how from any given angle the color is different. I took a long look at my very-best friends while they were distracted. I really soaked it in. From each angle we look different, we make up a different color from one another, we have different families and activities. We have different political, educational, and religious views. Yet when I look at us, sitting there in a pop-up tent rummaging over some cheap silver, I equate us to Alexandrite, because despite these hundreds of angles one could see about us, I see the love and friendship we share. I see the color we make when you put us all together. For some reason we naturally complete each other. We just effortlessly work, play, talk, and hang out. Not many teenage girls can say they have remained close friends for over 10 years.... We can. 
God put us all together cause he knew all our different angles put together would make the most special and rare friendship combination possible.  
All teenage girls think their friends are diamonds, but I KNOW mine are Alexandrite. 

They may think I shrug it off, but I cherish our ring shop stops, cause it reminds me of our Alexandrite-like friendship. It makes me thank my lucky stars I have such amazingly unique friends, cause in a world of diamonds, I am blessed enough to have a rich supply of Alexandrite.