Is that it?
To me, a friend should support. She should tell me when I'm being stupid, and not be afraid to argue with me. She should be there for me to call when I've had an argument with someone. She should tell me when she thinks I'm making a bad decision, and trust that her opinion won't be a friendship-ruiner. She should be honest--always.
I can count on one hand the people in my life that live up to the description above. They are people who have laughed with me, cried with me and fought with me. They are people who have shared my deepest sadness and my most amazing joys. They are friends that I know will be there until the end, because they've been there from the beginning.
And then, there are friends that I thought would be that for me. But, when the tough times came or they disagreed with something I was doing, they bailed. They were friends of convenience.
Many of my best friends are not convenient.
One, who I've known since I was 8 years old, has never lived closer than 30 minutes from me. For the past six years, we've been five-plus hours away from each other and only see each other a few times a year. But, I still consider her one of my best friends because, when we are together, it's like we've never been apart. I know I can call her whenever, talk to her about anything, and trust her to be honest with me.
Another, who I've known since I was 14, has lived at least a 14-hour drive away from me for the past six years. She now lives in London, and while I know I'll only see her once a year if I'm lucky, we keep in touch through Skype and Facebook--and she is and will continue to be one of my best friends.
To me, being friends with someone shouldn't mean supporting or agreeing with everything they do. It shouldn't mean you need to see or talk to them daily or weekly. But it should mean that you'll be there for them through the good and the bad, and hopefully they'll be there for you too.
So, thanks, to my best friends.
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