Friendship

A good friend is like a four-leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have. There is mutual trust that builds up in lifelong friends. William Shakespeare wrote, “a friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become and still, gently allows you to grow.” 

I also believe that friendship is the secret sauce to a lasting marriage. There are many obligations in life and friendship should not be one of them. Friends aren’t there to live up to our expectations. If you put too much pressure on a friendship it will fizzle away. Friendships evolve as people do.  If we don’t see each other in a while we can pick up where we left off.  Sometimes we must forgive our friends because the friendship is more important than the grudge.

I have friendship requirements, but it doesn’t matter what your status is.  You have to be a fairly positive person and a decent human being.  No haters and no victims. You must accept me for who I am and try to be and have my back most of the time.  You don’t have to practice the same religion or be clean and sober. You don’t have to have it all together or agree with my politics.  

We make time for friends because we enjoy their company.  Jane Fonda said “women’s friendships are like a renewable source of power” to which I can attest.  They help you find important things when you have lost them like your smile, your hope and your courage. Friends are like bumpers in the bowling lane to prevent gutter balls. We need interventions like that sometimes.  I’ve learned that to have a friend you must be a friend and that we don’t always have to agree to stay in each other’s corners.

Am I the only one?