Friendship

I realize that there are different levels of friendship: people we talk to when we see each other, people we communicate with electronically, people we call, and people we go out of our way to see. Some friends we talk to daily, while others we seldom speak to. It's not the amount of time or the frequency which determines the level of friendship, or is it?

I never really had a best friend. I usually had two best friends, part of a trio. This was true in junior high with Cathy and Judy. Then in high school there were Susan and Christine (and Dora was the tag-along). Maybe I never wanted to put all my eggs in one basket.

During different phases of my life I have had close friends who died rather suddenly. The pain of loss was so bad I altered how I lived. I realized that life was not to be taken for granted and friends shouldn't be taken for granted either.

I married one of my best friends and worry about losing him. If only he'd quit smoking, I'd be less worried. Then again, he wants me to exercise more so that he doesn't have to worry about my health.

I hope that I am a friend who people want to share their joys and sorrows. I want be there to cheer you and hug you for all the great moments in your life. But know that I am here for those times when you need me to hug you to take away the pain. I will laugh with you and cry with you. But most of all, I want to share memories with those dearest to me so that when I'm no longer here physically, a part of me will still be floating around in the memories of my friends.