First of all, welcome to the forums, and congrats on getting a really awesome phone. It's one of the best purchases I've ever made.
The widget you're looking for is the Buddies Now widget. To add it again, tap and hold your finger on the screen while in one of your home screens. After a couple seconds, a menu should pop up, tap Samsung Widgets. Then scroll down until you find the Buddies Now one. Have fun going through the different widgets available!