I have a confession to make, not all of my
friendships are equal. I am sure I will get an unhappy text for writing this,
but there are some friends who will probably never reach the best friend
status. It isn’t their fault. They may bear a different label, but I can’t live
without them.
The No-pressure friend. I bet you have
one too. This is the kind of friend who doesn’t see you for at least a month or
maybe a year, but doesn’t mind playing catch up. I have several friends who
moved to this category without asking because we live so far away from each
other, but I look forward to our long banters over the phone. I still feel
loved and supported and in the end I cherish every one of them.
The Play-Date Friend. I only get to
hang out with this gal pal when we can get our kids together. We often meet at
a park after texting all the information of when and where to connect. We weave
our conversation in and out of distractions or interruptions such as when our
children need a snack or want help swinging on the monkey bars. We may struggle
to bond at times, but more importantly, we call each other friend.
The
New Friend. This
comrade is similar to dating. It has the potential for more or it can cause a
speedy trip to the nearest hiding place while repeatedly whispering, “What was
I thinking?” While the process and time it takes to move a relationship from
stranger to acquaintance to friend can be awkward and perhaps even painful, it
is without a doubt a relationship full of hope. And she doesn’t know the real
me yet!
The
Wipe your Nose, Childhood Friend. Yes, you read that
right. I might be the only one who possesses this kind of friend. Her name is
Viviane. That’s all I am going to personally divulge about her because she has
dirt, LOTS of dirt on me. I met her when we were 13 and in the 27 years and
counting, we have witnessed each other graduate, date boys we shouldn’t have, attend
college, discover truths about ourselves(whether we will admit them or not),
get married, have children and learn to trust God even when it is most
difficult. And yes, she wiped my nose
during my mom’s funeral. I know. Can you believe she did that for me? Really,
she is family and I am barely scratching the surface of what makes her so
special. I cannot and refuse to imagine my life without her.
Even though these relationships are less than
perfect, even strained at times, I am grateful for them. Better to have any of the above friends then no friends or worse...only fair
or foul-weathered friends-those are friends I can live without!
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