Make new friends but keep the old

These past 2 days have reminded me what it means to have and be a good friend. It means not talking to someone for weeks or months, then reconnecting as if you had just spoken yesterday. It means not judging someone for where they've been or what they've done or decisions they made in they made in the past. It means taking a person as they are now, accepting, offering advice even if it's not requested and not being offended when it's not heeded.

Being a good friend means sitting by a pool, quietly or riotously. Reading a book or singing to show tunes; recollecting times gone by and good times yet to come.

Having a good friend means explaining why you're feeling nervous, admitting that you have no clue what to do next in your life, sharing anxiety and having the burden lightened by another shoulder to lean on.

Being a good friend means being able to be make-up-free and girdle-free and diet-free. It means allowing someone to get in a run because it's important to them, waiting patiently for your turn in the shower, enjoying the shared silence and laughter.

Having a good friend means knowing that your past will always be with you but it does not have to define you. Knowing someone for years means perspective is enhanced, but appreciating that there are still things to learn and uncover and love in each other.

After all, this is the life.
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