30 Days of Thanks - Day 4

Today, and every day, I am thankful for good friends.

                       

I mean friends, not acquaintances, not those who are "friends" long enough to gain from you, not those who feel the need to judge, compete or be anything less than happy for you when good things happen in your life.  Friendships will always go through bumps in the road, but those few times will always go as quickly as they came and you grow stronger from those learning experiences.  I know these days it is hard to find people you can trust.  It's so easy for females especially to get sucked into the gossip, judgmental attitude and turn completely cold when certain situations arise.   Whatever happened to just being friends?  Whatever happened to the carefree feeling of being able to depend on someone and know that no matter how busy, successful or otherwise involved they may be, they would be there.  And I don't mean be there physically even, I mean just to even care.  It's funny to me that these people usually don't see anything wrong with their actions and are even defensive about it.  Unfortunately, I have experienced this, but luckily not with any of my close friends who really mean something to me.  And as much as I would love to think I never acted this way, I am sure in my younger, more immature years, I probably did.  I guess that's one of those disappointments I spoke about in a previous post.  

                          

               

The friends I am thankful for are such genuine people.  Those people who don't knock to come in your house.  You don't scramble to clean before they get there, and it's ok to be in your comfy pants when they arrive.  They don't judge.  They don't run to gossip after you share your heart with them.  They don't become bitter when something good happens for you, they are just as happy as you are.  They don't get arrogant when they have successes, because they know you supported them every step of the way and always will.  They don't take advantage.  And they are the first to ask "how was your day" because they already know and don't have to ask "how are you?" or "how have you been?".  And, one of the most important to me, they love our son.  They are so good with him, even those who aren't parents themselves.  That love is true love, true friendship. 

   

What a great feeling to know we have been blessed with so many of these friends.  I have  been so fortunate to share my life with some very special friends since Jr. High and have made some equally special friendships throughout the years.  J and I have "couple friends" who are so much fun to share life with.  And we are even blessed enough to have fellow "parent friends" who just get it.  They understand the perfectly imperfect life of being a parent and family and love sharing that together. 

Friends are so important in life.  Without someone other than family to turn to, you really have so much to miss out on.  Though I must say, my very best friend is family, my wonderful husband.  Maybe I will just have to list him as a "thankful" one day soon. :-)  

Thank you, to those who are true friends.  You know who you are.