The Meaning of “True Friendship”

By definition, a friend, is a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. Friendship is the state of being a friend; association as friends: to value a person's friendship. For some, finding friends may be a challenge, keeping friends may be another challenge, or you may never have to work hard to make or keep a friend, but no matter what, a life without friends is a life half full.

Throughout my entire life, I have had the good, the bad, and the unbreakable friendships. I believe people come into our lives for a reason, sometimes reasons we may not understand until years later.

I have been truly blessed to have the friends I have today. Each and every one of them are incredibly unique, compassionate, ambitious, beautiful people, all whom I hold dear to my heart. Every one of them has contributed in some way, shape, or form to who I am today and I am forever grateful.

My best friend Alex has been at my side since the first day I met her in preschool, and has never left my side since. She has seen me through all my awkward stages of puberty, major injuries and surgeries, to childhood nicknames and rumors. Aside from living in different states since college, time has not slowed down our special bond. She has helped me take steps to find my faith, pushed me in ways she may never know, and has never been a judge to me. She is my base, my tree stump.

As I have grown older, more people have built my trunk. Switt comes next. She is my red-headed, freckled, lively, ambitious, crazy friend. We are sisters separated at birth, who have been at each other’s side through late-night talks, broken hearts, sleepovers, chick-flick movies, drunken nights dancing at bars, and are now airplane rides apart. Despite being on opposite sides of the country, we remain in constant contact, thick as thieves.

Erin is a friend who came into my life through unforeseen circumstances. We met through our current boyfriends, now both our ex's and have been best friends since the first day we met. Everyday I am reminded why everything happens for a reason and how she was meant to come into my life. Her passion for life, her deep value for her friends and family, and her sense of hope is contagious and never ending. Life is full of surprises and sometimes things happen, and we may not to able to understand why. As time goes on, my love and appreciation for Erin grows stronger. She and I have been each others rock. We push each other to be the best we can be and not let anyone get in our way.

I know I have made countless mistakes in my life. I have said things that I regretted saying; did things I wish I could take back, and made choices I thought were right. I am not the best of friend at times, and the choices I have made, and the mistakes that have followed, have shaped my life in some way, shape or form. Remaining true and balanced means I need to have my arms, heart and mind wide open for my friends, so I can be their tree stump when needed. Having childhood friends like Alex, Switt and Erin- they make me remain grounded. They make sure my roots are tightly fashioned deep inside the Earth, and that no matter how far my branches may stretch or start to droop, they are only a text message, email, or phone call away and at most, just a plane ride away.

“Maybe mistakes are what make our fate... without them what would shape our lives? Maybe if we had never veered off course we wouldn't fall in love, have babies, or be who we are. After all, things change, so do cities, people come into your life and they go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart... and if you're very lucky, a plane ride away” - Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City)