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My two best friends and I turned 30 this year. I went first, then Karen, then Dawn. We decided on getting each other this Tiffany ring with three hearts. And on each birthday, we made sure at least the receiving part was a surprise.

For me, they conspired with my friend Leah, who they hadn’t met, to give it to me at my birthday dinner in Chicago (which they couldn’t attend). For Karen, I hid it in her luggage at the end of a trip we took together so she’d find it when she got home. For Dawn, we had her husband stash it somewhere on the morning of her birthday.

Here’s me and Dawn wearing our rings.

The three of us live on three different continents but oddly enough, I think we’re closer than we’ve ever been, friendship-wise. We’ve known each other since we were in primary school (Dawn and I went to the same kindergarten) but really only got close when we were about 15.

We’ve grown together and apart and together again. And we’ve developed into very different people from when we were kids. I’m not sure you can find more diverse characters among three good friends. Somehow though, it works for us. Of course we get into arguments now and again when our personalities clash, but we always make-up quickly.

I think the best part of our friendship is the freedom from judgment when we do incredibly dumb things that we wouldn’t tell anybody else and, though it sounds ironic, the expectation that we will hear it like it is from each other when we’re on the wrong path or just being stupid.

[Ching and Renz, I'm SO thankful for you guys and I fully expect us to grow old together.]

Here’s my favourite picture of us taken this year just before Dawn got married: