What Does Friendship Mean?

When I was a little kid, friends easily came and went. I may have had it a bit more difficult than other kids as we moved often and each time I started a new school new friendships had to be formed. And I was a pretty shy little kid. Still, friends were easy to come by; someone to play with after school and in the weekend, someone whom enjoyed the same things as you. As I grew a bit older and went on to junior high and high school, friendships formed much slower. The group of kids I had come to know as my friends all had different backgrounds than me. My parents had made the decision to move yet again, for the last time during those formative years, to give my brothers and I more of a chance; living in a larger town where sports and activities were offered and enveloped, not needing to ride a schoolbus 3 hours each day, starting the business venture that became a part of our family, just a community with more windows of opportunity. It was hard for me, leaving the friends I had come to treasure and had grown close to in those two previous years attending the two-room schoolhouse in the woods. But with the decision made, we headed to Laramie. I began junior high there and immediately became involved in school sports and different clubs. I was a part of different groups, never fitting into or cliquing myself with one particular group. That was always the case with me as I moved through high school. As many "friends" as I had, none were the friendships that have continued on into adulthood. I was never the jock or the nerd or the skater or the smartie...yet I had friends within each circle. It was a difficult time in my life as I longed for more concrete friendships, and when I finally found that special niche, my good friend moved away, and I was once again alone. From that experience I have learned to be a more accepting person, and am proud to this day that I accept all persons regardless of outside appearances. Moving into adulthood, I have involved myself with many different types of people. Each has served a purpose in my life, and many were people that I would consider wonderfully terrific friends. For that time and place in my life. Today, I feel lucky to have three or four friends that mean the world to me, that share in all of my life's happenings, that don't feel ashamed to call on me for support, that know I will love them without condition, that know I treasure their friendship. These are the people that will be with me forever, in heart and soul, always staying connected whether it be a weekely chat on the phone, a monthly visit for coffee, or three years between hearing from each other...that friendship remains and always stays firmly planted, regardless of marriage or childbirth, losses or gains. These are my true friends.

One of these friends and I were discussing friendship last night. We talked about how there are so many different types of friends and how each is just as meaningful within your life. There are friends of the moment, friends of the day, friends of the occasion, friends of the place...and then there are friends for life. To those people I wish to say Thank you...thank you for letting me be me and accepting me for who I am, for supporting me in my times of need, for sharing with me your grief and happiness, for loving me. Thank you for being my friend. Yes, you! You know who you are...