Friendships

I have been thinking a lot about friendships lately. There are so many types of friendships that we find ourselves engaged in. We have our best friends, our pals, our acquaintances, and, let's face it, those friendships that drain us.

I take my friendships seriously. A good friend is golden. Someone you can pour your soul out to and never worry that she will use it against you later. A good friend is the one you shop with because she will honestly tell you when the jeans are not flattering and the top is too tight. A good friend is the one that tells you about the chive in your teeth BEFORE you chat it up with your nemesis that you happen to run into.

I am so blessed to have good, solid friendships. I do not have many friendships from childhood because we moved away before high school and I do not have many friendships from high school because high school was just not among my happiest times. My best friendships have been formed in the last 15 years or so.

I love friends I can laugh with and joke with. I love friends that get my sarcasm. And, I love the sarcasm of my wittiest pals. I learn from my friends...I learn how to parent better, how to laugh at myself, how to move up in the business world, how to take better care of myself and my family, and how to get the best deals on everything needed to clothe, bathe, feed, and educate my children. Good friends are golden for so many reasons.

I have cried with my friends and laughed until my sides hurt. I have been crushed by friends who really were not truly friends at all. And, I have had to end friendships that were toxic to the point of impacting my relationships with others. That's so hard. When you really want to be a good friend but you realize that person's negativity flows beyond you to your family. It is never easy to let go even when it is the best thing to do.

A good friend buys you a fire extinguisher and hot sauce when your house burns down. They take the wicks out of candles until you earn them back by not having anymore house fires for a year. They honor your 40th birthday with denture cream and Beano. They laugh until they almost pass out when you trip over your own feet. They meet you before the sun rises to squeeze a run into an already packed day. They enjoy hanging out with you even though you are an enormous goofball. At least this is what my friends do...all two of them! Just kidding, I have at least three!