Who Is A Friend?

(in life's changing tides of friends getting married, moving away, going to college and meeting new people I have been doing a lot of thinking on what makes someone a "friend." I don't have the answer completely; much more is felt than known, but these are some of the humble conclusions I have come to.) 

A friend is someone who pushes me into deeper levels of love, thought and spirituality-but also in some mysterious and perfect balance still accepts me for exactly who I am. And in accept, I don’t mean cradle my bad habits or feed my insecurities, but instead, shows affection towards the attributes of me that are quirky, odd or different. 

A friend is someone who holds conversation with me on something we disagree on, but after awhile is alright with giving up. A friend is someone who offers a smirk or a light-hearted chuckle at the frustrating (yet beautiful) idea that we are all different, and it would be boring if we all thought the same.

A friend is someone who is active in my life through some kind of presence: sometimes physical, sometimes solely emotional or spiritual. It is someone who takes activity in my life whatever the circumstances may be. If the phone call is all that is doable, then the phone call is made. If it is everyday showing up at my house for a walk, then it is the walk. A friend works with whatever is given, and is not idle, passive nor lazy.

A friend is someone who loves without conditions. It is not the love that only occurs "if" or "when" this or that at happens, rather it is always available, always free to be given and even more freely taken. A friend is someone who never records the wrong doings but thinks on the good doings. A friend is someone who says that they will love and care without restraint, without expectations or conditons, but yet fully knows that if the other person feels the same, we will meet at a place of common satisfaction. 

A friend is someone who recognizes that friendship is the unexplainable bond between two people or a group of people. A friend is someone that recognizes that friendship may morph into actions, but it is birthed in the soul. A friend is someone who knows that friendship cannot be dissected, understood, or analyzed. It can only be lived. A friend is someone who is willing to live that journey with me-whether for just a time, or a life time.