Friends: New and Old

This post has been brewing in my mind for many months. I want to talk about friends and what they mean to me. I do not think I have ever fully verbalized what it means to have a good friend.
I believe I have a few great friends. Some are old and some are new.

Lately, I have reconnected with a number of old friends. We may not have been in touch throughout the years, but we literally pick up right where we left off, with fun, memories and banter. We talk about our lives then and now. We share. We care. We may not be involved in each others' lives on a daily basis, but we stay in touch and catch up because we want to. When we do spend time together, it is almost as if time froze in its tracks and we are transported back to our young days, when we were carefree and spent every waking minute catching up with one another. My old friends remind me of the playdates we had when we were young, trips to the park or pizza shop, late-night phone calls, driving around town blasting our music, shopping, and eating when we were supposed to be studying for midterms.

I have other friends (old and new) who are more involved in my day to day life at present. We may carpool together, spend Shabbat, arrange playdates for our children, share a babysitter, and hang out with our families. My good friends offer friendship and support. They would literally drop everything to help with whatever I may need. They are the friends I call at 12am to babysit when I go into labor. They understand the dynamics of work, kids, and community. As friends, we recognize each others' strengths and weaknesses and are able to offer guidance and love. We grow together and become better individuals through our interactions. We laugh together and sometimes cry too.

I am proud to say I have very solid friendships and strong relationships. I appreciate my good friends and I feel that I reciprocate. I try my hardest to go out of my way to help my friends.

I think it is truly remarkable when friends become like family.

Thank you to my dear friends - you know who you are - for enhancing my life.

Please tell me about your friendships in the comments!