"True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and choice."

I've been thinking a lot about the nature of friendship lately. I once heard a saying that I believe to be very true. You have friends for a reason, a season or a lifetime. I have friends who fall into each of those categories. And each and every one of them has been important. Like how I used the past tense? That's because some of them aren't in my life anymore.



Some friends come in and out of your life quickly. Some friends come in and don't leave (even though you wish they would). Some stick around for the long haul.



Friendship truly is a symbiotic relationship. It's amazing how many people think that friendship should be parasitic. They take and take, never offering anything in return, to your detriment. Those people, well, are they truly friends? Others view friendship as a commensal relationship. They will take, but it doesn't really affect the person they are taking from in a negative (or positive) way. Other relationships are competitive. This is never a good thing. Don't get me wrong, a little healthy competition is good for the soul. But if your entire relationship exists to try to one-up each other, perhaps you should rethink your friendship. The relationship that a friendship should be is a mutual one, where everyone involved is benefiting from the friendship. If you truly find this relationship, don't ever take it for granted and don't ever let it go.



When I look at my true friendships, I know they are mutual relationships. These people love me, for the person I am and the person I may become. If I need them, they will drop everything and come running. They will talk for hours if I need to vent. And they know that I will do they same for them. For a true friend, nothing is too much to ask. And even if you don't talk or see each other as often as you'd like, you know they are there.



While those other friendships can be fun, you know in your heart that they aren't making you a better person. Or maybe they did, but now you have outgrown the friendship. There's no shame in realizing that some friendships aren't meant to be forever relationships. It's never easy to let them go. But sometimes, it's for the best. Because it opens you up to the possibility of a new "forever" friend. And those are rare and precious commodities.