It is the Frosting on the Cupcake of Life

I had dinner with an old friend, and we talked about not much of anything. We shared ideas and updates, told our woes and chatted about the basics of life. It was a nice time as neither of us had to work to be together. We ate, we talked, we laughed, we ate some more. How nice it is to have an old friend, and to be an old friend.

If there is one thing I know about sustaining a friendship it is that you have to be a friend first before expecting that same thing from someone else. Be it a work friend, a neighborhood friend, a family friend or someone you have something in common with, a friend is rare. More than an acquaintance and more than someone who helps pass the time, a friend is someone who would come pick you up in the middle of the night because you have a flat tire or ran out of gas. They have seen your ups and downs and like you anyway. No questions asked, they will be there.

For some of us our family are our friends. We enjoy spending time with them and we would seek out their company even if we were not related. For some of us our friends are more to us than our actual blood relatives. We can’t pick our family yet we can pick our friends. It is a double blessing when you have both. Either way the best way to make friends and keep them is to be one first.

Pause for a moment with me and think about your friends. Not just event companions or someone who fills the seat next to you. Think about the person or people who have brought joy to your life simply because they are your tried and true friend. Say a small, quiet ‘thank you’ for their presence in your life and be sure to give them a fist bump or a big hug next time you see them. To have a friend and to be a friend is the frosting on the cupcake of life!