CHANGING

Ever look back and wonder what happened??  Ever have that friend that was once joined at the hip with you and now look back and wonder where they are? As I look back I realize we all change. We grow older, possibly get married, have children or just plain 'grown out' of common interests. As with many aspects of happiness, people often assume that friendship should flow easily and naturally, and that trying to “work” on it is forced and inauthentic. Sometimes friendships naturally arise, but sometimes they don’t. 

It's hard for me to still look back at certain friends-even some high school friends I NEVER thought I would lose touch with. We did. It happens. I had a old friend that moved away recently. We lost touch over the years but when I do see her face it makes me smile remembering all the fun we use to have but the honest truth is we just grew apart. We all take different paths. With that being said. I have a wonderful group I love to call my friends. Sometimes we get together with a few friends and sometimes one on one and sometimes a big group of us.  With a turn of events the past few years I have been very choosey who I let in because I am highly protective of my personal life and my loved ones. Sometimes when life throws you curve balls, it really makes you realize and regroup your life.  <------I will touch more on this subject next week......  Here was a website I found with things that made me sit back and look at life.  My heart is big and I'm so thankful for what God has blessed me with. <3

http://shil1978.hubpages.com/hub/A-Friend-Worth-Dying-For-Qualities-of-a-Good-Friend

Friendships are precious. We forge countless friendships as we go on with our lives. We come to expect a lot out of them and of our friends. Good friends, however, are hard to come by. We are often disappointed at a friend having let us down. While it takes a lot to build up friendships, it takes a matter of seconds to destroy them. The disappointment is greater often times because we have not recognized a friend as being a good friend. There are friends and there are good friends. Good friends can be differentiated from the rest by certain characteristics, which may seem obvious, but are rarely reflected upon by most people.

Trust: A good friend is someone you can trust totally with your deepest and darkest secrets, knowing full well that they would not share it with anyone else. 

Loyalty: A good friend is absolutely loyal to you through thick and thin. A good friend doesn't betray you when the going gets tough. A backstabbing friend is no friend.

Honesty: A good friend is someone who is not a "YES person." They will not be afraid to criticize you or point out your flaws. A good friend will not think about pleasing you at all times by saying YES, when in fact the situation warrants that they say things which may be unpleasant, but true.

Accepting: A good friend accepts you for what you are, no matter what the world thinks of you. A good friend does not try to change you, except for suggesting things you can improve upon and pointing out where you are going wrong, constructively.

Supportive: A good friend always supports you, especially when you need their support. A good friend enjoys your successes as if it were their own. A good friend isn't jealous or envious of your successes.

Helpful: A good friend is someone who takes the time to help you out with things you need helping out with, without looking at it as a chore or avoidable hassle.

Understanding: A good friend is one who understands you and knows when something is troubling you. When others can't see anything wrong with your body language, a good friend knows something is up, seeks to find out the source of the trouble and helps come up with solutions to the problems you are having.

Sacrifice: A good friend makes sacrifices for you and isn't selfish and self-centered. You matter equally to them - their world doesn't just revolve around themselves.

Money: A good friend doesn't let money get in the way of your friendship. They don't hang around with you for your money or the perks that come with it. A good friend stays with you and supports you irrespective of whether you are rich or poor.

Share Interests: A good friend may not always share all of your interests, but should at least share a few of them.

Listener: A good friend is a good listener, who is there to listen to you whenever you need to share your thoughts.

Respectful: A good friend would not put you down in front of others. They would respect you and would treat you just the way you would treat them - with respect.

Friends are hard to find and good friends, harder still. If you have a truly good friend, you are one of the lucky few because good friends aren't that easy to find these days, so count your blessings and keep your good friend! They are truly invaluable and irreplaceable.