On friends

I received this in an email from a dear friend, and rather than email it forward, I thought I'd put it on my blog - especially as it ties in with what I was trying to say (but didn't succeed well enough) in a previous post on best-friendship.

So this is for all my female bestbuddies, the women in my life who make a difference to me, to everybody who knows them, and to the world:

When I was little,
I used to believe in the concept of one best friend,
And then I started to become a woman
And I found out that if you allow your heart to open up,
you can see the best in many friends.

One friend is needed when you're going through things with your man.
Another friend is needed when you're going through things with your mom.
Another will sit beside you in the bleachers as you delight in your children and their activities.
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be.
One friend will say : 'Let's cry together',
Another : 'Let's fight together',
Another : 'Let's walk away together'.

One friend will meet your spiritual need,
Another your shoe fetish,
Another your love for movies,
Another will be with you in your season of confusion,
Another will be your clarifier,
Another the wind beneath your wings.

But whatever their assignment in your life,
On whatever the occasion,
On whatever the day,
Or wherever you need them to meet you with their gym shoes on and hair pulled back,
Or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself.
Those are your best friends....

It may all be wrapped up in one woman, But for many it's wrapped up in several..
One from 7th grade,
One from high school,
Several from the college years,
A couple from old jobs,
On some days your mother,
On some days your neighbor,
On others your sisters,
And on some days your daughters.