There are some people that are meant to be in your life for just one day, some for years.
There are others that are there for when times get rough or others just for the party.
I've been blessed to call a few good women my friends. They are the kind of women I'm pretty sure I will know all of my life. Some I've had since childhood, most since high school. They've all drifted in and out of my life over the years, sometimes very present, some times gone for years at a time. But I would like to believe that if I needed them they would be there.
I've had one close friend since I was in 2nd grade. We spent afternoons after school together watching Gilligan's Island and the Brady Bunch re-runs. We played Yatzee and card games and climbed trees. She even tried to kill me on a skateboard once, but I forgave her, after all she did piggyback me into her house and have her mom fix me up. We've had our tiffs over the years, but I think the friendship of our youth kept us friends even when our adolescence said otherwise. She's one of those people that I can call, even if we haven't spoken to each other in a year, and pick up where we left off.
Another gal I hold dear I've been friends with since the summer after 6th grade. We were neighbors; I lived just down the hill from her. I spent so many days at her house that her parents actually considered me one of their kids. I am #5. The feeling is mutual. I always thought of her house as my second home and called her parent's Ma and Dad. We've had some great times to say the least. We slept in her yard with tents made of blankets and close lines. We snuck both in and out of her house upon occasion. And I know deep down in my heart, that she is the kind of person that I will always be able to count on, no matter what, no matter when, she'll be there. I expect to one day have to sneak in or out of the nursing home with her and I know it will be a blast.
Then there's this other gal; she is hilarious. I can always count on her for great conversation. We have a lot in common, a lot of laughs, and she's there if I just need to vent about something and bitch for a minute. She's drifted in and out of my life from time to time and lately it's been hard for us to hook up, but I know in my heart she's on my team.
The other girls in my group are the party gals. They are the ones that gather 3 or 4 times a year for Girls weekends, garden parties and Christmas. Not to downplay their friendship, because Lord knows we've been through a lot together; weddings, births, sicknesses, and deaths. They are the ones that throw you a shower, invite you to their kid's graduations and are there when your parents are sick. They are my home-girls and I will always hold them dear to my heart.
Then there are the people who come into your life briefly, for a day, a month, maybe a year. They are the kind souls that helped you when you had a flat tire, the gentle nurse that comforted you when your Dad had an operation or a co-worker that listened and offered advise when you were stressed. Maybe you only knew them for a short time, but their kindness and actions left an imprint on you. They may not be someone you will ever talk to again, but that doesn't mean they had any less impact on your life. I choose to go through my life believing that all people are good at heart. That if you show kindness to a stranger they will some how pass that kindness on to others. So I open doors for busy Moms and sweet little old ladies. I buy the next person in line a cup of coffee now and again. I let others merge in front of me on the highway and I wave in gratitude when they let me merge in.
I think that if we treated strangers like friends that people would begin to believe in the goodness of other's instead of the bad. And maybe, just maybe, the world would begin to change.
