Friendships

You know when you're hungry.... and you cannot figure out what to eat, so you find yourself "testing" things to see if it satisfies your urge?
I find myself doing that a lot. So far, chocolate is the only thing that hits the spot... I know Banditos would work- but that won't be for another week and a half. I feel like life is like a big giant refrigerator.
We go through life, finding people that satisfy our cravings- humor, intelligence, honesty, loyalty, supportiveness, reliable, respectable..... its like the carrots, yogurt, cheese, chips, cereal, cookies, ice cream.... of our refrigerator. Today I'm seeking someone loyal- take a look around the "fridge" of life. Throw out the moldy cheese and go shopping for something new.... Its just the same.
I feel like I've been tossed a couple times, I've also done the tossing several times. None of it feels good- same way when we toss out food in the fridge- you know you're thinking, man that sucks, that cost money, now I'm just throwing it away...
Friendships cost time... energy and effort. How do you know when it's time to toss it? When the friend doesn't return your calls? When they aren't there when you need them? When they make decisions you disagree with?
Don't those things build the character of the person that you're friends with---- for the reason that you were friends with them to begin with? For instance, two of my best friends from home- I don't speak to them every day or every week for that matter. One of them has two small children, a stressful job, and a husband... all of which take up a lot of her time. She knows I've got her back any day or night, and I know she's got mine. Luckily, she works mostly third shift, so if I ever call her with a crisis, and she's working- she's up. I love her. She's my family.
Same thing with another one of my friends from home... she recently moved overseas. It's ironic, because when she's here, we don't speak much- but when she's in France, we talk almost every day on Skype. I joke that we speak more now than we have since high school. It's probably not funny to anyone else, but I admire her strength and her independence. She is a true friend because the definition holds true- we don't speak for the longest time, but when we do, it's like no time has passed at all.

Being an only child, I always look to my cousins as though they are my big sisters.... when I pledged Kappa Alpha Theta in college, I had a room of sisters to embrace me on the bad days and laugh with me on the good days. Friends from high school and college seem to be the friendships that I cherish the most. I love watching my closest girlfriends become mothers and wives. It's amazing to me. People that have been there through everything and just... continue to be amazing friends. These women are my family.
I may not have been born with sisters- but I know I have them now.
Lots and lots of them.
Good thing I've got such a big heart- lots of love to go around.