Some thoughts on having friends, and being a friend.

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I was reading the post our @LooeyVille made about friends, and how hard it can be at times to not only find one, but deal with a person you thought was a friend, but isn't. It can be very difficult. And, it hurts. It's happened to all of us at some point. This made me think hard about not only my very best friend, but some other people I consider to be close friends. How did it evolve, how the friendships lasted and how did I get so fortunate to even have such friends? My best friend and I go back many years. We've gone through celebrations and heartbreaks, deaths and births, trauma over children and over health issues, her having cancer several times...I could go on and on here. We have grown older together, we listen to each other, and basically consider ourselves sisters--she has lost her siblings, and my sister is gone, too. We know each other's hearts, and what is important to us. We do like some of the same things, and some different. Both of us love our children and grandchildren fiercely and well. We both love to cook, and we love books. Trading books back and forth has been going on for years now! We both love antiques, bargains, coffee time, and visiting. Yes, I have some other friends I consider very close friends, and they grow closer as we share more of our lives. Funny, we are all different, too. Several have no children, several of us raised a houseful. We all had different upbringings. But somehow, it does work to be good friends. Friends care about you, your family, your well-being, your life, and how you feel. If at all possible, they are there when you reach out, and you are there when they do the same. I think we all know this. Above all, no matter what, a true friendship is based on honesty and caring. If those things aren't there, it's just not going to work. 'We all come from homes far from perfect, so you end up almost parent and sibling to your friends—your own chosen family. There’s nothing like a really loyal, dependable, good friend. Nothing.” —Unknown