Today I was reflecting on the many people in my life that I had referred to as friends and realized that most had been nothing more than mere acquaintances, that I had used the word to lightly.
A true friend is someone who stands by you through all times, the good and bad, through all decisions, good or bad, loving you unconditionally and completely, not in spite of who you are, but because of who you are. Let me restate that because it's probably the most important sentence in this whole rambling. A true friend loves you because of who you are, not in spite of who you are. Friendship like that is rare, when you find it you can walk away from it and come back years later and pick up as if you never left. These are the friends who pick you up when relationships go bad, you lose jobs, your kids move away, and your parents pass on. They pick you up and dust you off. They are rocks for us, and in return we do the same. They expect the best from us, and we from them, it is given without asking, they make us better than we would be without them, and we do the same for them. Such is the way of unconditional love.
Next time you sit with a "friend" and have lunch, ask yourself, does this person make me aspire to be a better person? Do they make me want to listen to their problems and offer them a shoulder, or do I want to run screaming? You'll know where your answers put you, and if the answers are no/yes, then you need wonder, is this time well spent?
Been awhile since we heard from you. Hope all is well.
Mother Nanhi Mary
MNM