Friend

By textbook definition, a friend is "a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard." Of course we can assume that the affection is that of caring, kindness, love of the non-romantic kind, as this is just a friend after all, but we all have our own personal definitions of what friends are to us. To me a friend is someone who calls just to see what's going on, how you're doing or how your day went. Or perhaps they send an email "just because" you're in their thoughts, or maybe you chat online, because let's face it, many of us spend alot of time on our computers and people aren't alway available by phone, although you can leave a message on just about any cell phone. I think a friend not only shares in your successes and accomplishments but also in your failures and shortcomings by offering words of encouragement, kindness and offerings of "things will get better". Friends are not fair weather, self-absorbed or in constant use of the word "I". These people are called acquaintences and in the end, whether it be the final "END" or just in passing, a friend will far outlast an acquaintence. An acquaintence lives for the moment of a lifetime, a friend lives for a lifetime of moments. What you may ask, is the reason for this post? Reflection, really. It's a wonderfully, cleansing moment of clairity when you can really see the difference between Friend and Acquaintence.