The Meaning of Friendship

I have been thinking about friendship a lot these past couple days. I was thinking how crazy the cycle of friendship is and how friendships change so much over the years.

When you were little, you always wanted to have a friend over, and when you had to play by yourself, it sucked. When you were a teenager, you preferred friends over family, and your friends were the ones who listened to your boy drama, told you your braces weren't that bad, and helped you come up with elaborate lies in case you got caught doing something you shouldn't. In your early 20s, your friends were still a huge part of who you were, they shared your struggles with college and relationships, bought you shots on your 21st, and were always there at 2:00 in the morning in case you needed a ride home or a shoulder to cry on.

Now that I am in my late 20s, rapidly approaching 30 (yikes!), my friendships are very different than they used to be. It's not about talking on the phone everyday, or hanging out every weekend. It's not about partying anymore. I think I am still trying to define what my friendships are these days, and I think it's ok that I can't necessarily put my friendships in a box. Each one means something special and different to me.

Priorities change and life happens. I don't always pick up the phone just to call and say hi (I hate the phone) and I am sorry for that. But that doesn't mean that I don't love my friends. I don't make plans with them as often as I should. But that doesn't mean that I don't care about what's going on in their lives. I forget birthdays and anniversaries, but they're still in my thoughts and prayers everyday.

So, dear friends of mine, if you are reading this: I love you, you're important to me, and let's get together soon because I miss you terribly. And no, there won't be shots.