Friendship

I have often heard it said that there are friends that are in your life for a reason, for a season, or for a lifetime. And I have become friends with enough people to know that that is true.

I am grateful for the people who come into my life right when I need them, and hope that I can be that type of friend to others as they need me. And sometimes you're friends with people because you're sharing an experience or life event. Those friendship bonds are usually more intense. And even after those people are out of your life, if either of you ever needed anything,you'd be there for each other. The last category is the best one. The people you meet and know you'll be friends with forever, no matter what. Through the good, the bad, and the ugly, they are there for a lifetime.

However, I am sometimes surprised when a friendship ends. It's difficult when friends can't understand if you have had a different experience than them, or if you hold different views than they have. I don't mean agreeing, because you'll never agree with everyone. I'm talking about a friend hearing you, acknowledging you, validating you. If they can't do that, I guess that means they were not true friends to begin with. So today, I am thinking about a specific set of friends that I'm no longer friends with, and with the realization that I had them in one category (friend for life) when they really belonged in another (friend for a season.)