Friends

I received a phone call today from a great friend of mine.  I hadn’t talked to her in over 6 months, but we chatted as if we had seen each other just yesterday.  This conversation, simple as it may have been, made my day.  Week even.  More importantly, it made me think about the relationships that I have with people.

After hanging up with this friend, I got to thinking about the importance of true friendship.   I’m not talking about the friends that you hang out with, yet are constantly questioning whether or not they are mad at you because of something you did or didn’t say.  Or the friends that you love partying with, but have the hardest time discussing with them any personal problem or struggle.   I’m talking about the people that you can confide in and trust 100%, no matter how long you have been out of touch or what mistakes you may have made. 

These friends are hard to come by.  And the secret to finding one: You have to become one yourself.  We need true friends like this in our life, even if it is only 2 or 3.  For if we don’t, the foundation of our humanness- the ability to empathize, connect, and love- become desensitized.  If you constantly surround yourself with friends that use you, mock you, or just hang out with you because it is convenient for them, you start thinking that these are the only types of friends you will ever have.  That those friends are all you are worth.

Do not fall for it.  Seek out friends who follow their own path.  Those who are honest, admit to their mistakes, and who are not afraid to show their vulnerability.  These are the friends that are real.  They understand the deeper, more meaningful aspects of life.  When you do find one of those friends, don’t let them go.  Put in that extra effort to maintain contact, and let them know how important they are to you.  You have no idea how much it might mean to them.  I know it meant a lot to me today.   

So I just want to say to that very special friend of mine- I love you for all that you are.  I am so glad you are in my life, and I am so blessed to have met you.  I am a better person because of you.  J