The value of friendship

Everyone has those friends.  You know, the ones that you can not see for extended periods of time, but when you see them you instantly fall back into the old routine of banter, laughter, and conversation.  Most people are not blessed with many of these friends, and I am lucky enough to have more than a few.  I love the way I can go for months, sometimes even years without speaking to my besties but it doesn't matter.  It's like we never skipped a beat once we do talk again. 

In life we create relationships with people.  That is, essentially, what God designed us to do.  To love is to be loved, and the more relationships we build with others the more love we allow ourselves to give and receive.  Some people think that more people in your life will just overcomplicate it.  I say, yes, it takes hard work to be a part of a relationship.  Any relationship.  One must make an effort to connect, even if at random times, with those we wish to have in our lives.  But for me, the end result of relationships is usually worth it.  The harder I work at any relationship, the more rewarding it typically is. 

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that every relationship is worth continually working toward.  Relationships, in all their beauty, are two-way streets.  If one person is driving their way down the road and trying to reach the other person, but the other person fails to put gas into their car and doesn't at least attempt to meet them halfway, the relationship will, in the end, be futile.  Some relationships are so dysfunctional that they are learning experiences, but short-lived. 

My relationships with my friends are complicated.  Some friends are high maintenance.  Some are low maintenance.  Some blow in for a season, only to be gone for the next.  Many are somewhere in the background, usually silent, but their presence always felt.  I love all of my friends from high to low, fights to laughter, long time friends and newer friends alike.

If you are my friend and you are reading this, know that I'm only a phone call away.  I might not answer the first time, but I will always call you back.  I love you even when I'm busy with the distractions of life, and know that I will never take your friendship or love for granted. 

Sometimes we all just need to pick up a phone and call!  Life is short and precious, but it is even more precious with people we love and who love us in it.  :)