On Friendship

This post is specifically for all my friends out there.  You see, I have amazing friends.  I have friends from different walks of life, different ages, genders, with different views and religious beliefs.  I have friends who cry, friends who fight, friends who laugh, friends who pout and friends who will sing a merry tune with me while drunk (or sober for that matter).  Some I haven’t seen in years but still hold close to my heart.  I miss them so much I cry at the thought of how long it’s been and how much of their lives I’m missing out on.  Some of my friends I see every other day and value every second.  They help me keep my sanity in check.  Some friends I know I can call whenever I need to bitch and others when I need to cry.  My friends have shared in my greatest joys and in some of my greatest heartaches - to date.  I know full well life still has a few curveballs coming my way.

This is for all my friends.

I am sorry.

I am sorry I am not always the friend you deserve.  Sometimes I get so absorbed into my own life that I forget to ask you about yours.  And you never hold that against me.  You are quick to point out that I have my hands full.  And to a degree, you are right.  But it is not an excuse.  It’s not fair towards you, yet you’re always willing to let it slide.  We pick up where we left off and continue building memories together.  Building bridges across the open air between our hearts.

I am sorry that I am not always there when you need me.  Even when I know you need me I don’t always make it out to your house, or get together for coffee.  I don’t always manage to show you that I care.  And even though I can come up with a million different reasons for why I didn’t call or stop by, it’s not a valid excuse.  You deserve better.  You deserve the friend who makes the time and the effort.  And I am sorry I am not always that friend.

Thank you.

Thank you for being my friend.  Thank you for not judging me, or at least not judging me too harshly.  Thank you for still being there for me even after I wasn’t there for you.  Thank you for looking after me when I have trouble looking after myself and don’t deserve your effort.

You see, you understand what friendship is about.  It is about acceptance.  Not holding a grudge.  Forgiveness.  Love.  Friendship is about love.  Absolute love.  The kind where you give without expecting a return.  The kind where you don’t keep track of who owes who.  Endless, boundless love.

They say blood is thicker than water.  But what is in that blood that ties families together so tightly?  Shared experiences?  Shared beliefs?  Shared backgrounds?  It can’t all be genetics.  Science will want to prove me wrong on this, but sometimes water seems to be thicker than blood.  Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.  And sometimes, those family ties can be stronger than the ones we are born into.  

You, my friends, are my soul mates.  I am thankful for every one of you who takes up a space in my heart.  I pray with all my heart that this is exactly where you’ll stay, till the end of days and beyond.  You have my heart.  Keep it safe.