What friends mean to me....

What exactly is a friend? How do you define a friend? Websters defines friends as:

1 a : one attached to another by affection or esteem b : ACQUAINTANCE2 a : one that is not hostile b : one that is of the same nation, party, or group3 : one that favors or promotes something (as a charity)4 : a favored companion 5 capitalized : a member of a Christian sect that stresses Inner Light, rejects sacraments and an ordained ministry, and opposes war -- called also Quaker

Now.... the first definition is good....but that's not how I think of friends....more closely resembling my definition of a true friend is this:

"You must therefore love me, myself, and not my circumstances, if we are to be real friends. ".... Cicero

Friends are people that know you at your worst moments ..... and are still there the next day. Not the sycophantic groupies so many people seem to want to surround themselves with......and you know who you are, don't you?

What is the purpose of having people around you that will only constantly telling you how wonderful you are? I want people in my life that will tell me the truth ...and that will except the truth from me.

I have a friend like that right now, someone I almost lost a few weeks ago because I was afraid to tell her the truth about how I felt...I'm glad I choose to trust her enough to speak up....she was upset with me, but she listened, told me when she thought I was out of line and we made our friendship stronger.

She is a wonderful person and I find myself thinking how lucky I am to have met her, to have the opportunity to have her in my life......Just to let you know Stephanie....

This one is for you!!!