You've Got A Friend In Me

I try to be the best friend I know how to be. Sometimes, that cripples me. What I mean is that when I have a friend I hold them to the same standards I hold for myself as a friend, and sometimes that's just unrealistic.

It's unrealistic because what may be a strength for me and what I find easy, could quite possibly be a huge downfall for my friend. When that happens I get mad at that friend because I would have gotten mad at myself for the same thing. Like I said....very unrealistic.

For instance, I always try to answer the phone if someone calls. Very, very rarily due I ever let the call go to voicemail intentionally. If I do let it go to voicemail, it's generally because I don't have the time at the particular moment to talk to them and I try to call them back as soon as possible. Well.....not everyone lives by that, and that fact is EXTREMELY frustrating to me. If I take the time to call you, I would like it if at all possible for you to answer the phone. Unrealistic....not everyone is like me.

I'm also the type of person that if I call you and you don't answer, I immediately start reading way to deeply into situation and the possible reasons of why you didn't answer and try to figure out what I have done to you. On the other hand, I know plenty of people who if they call someone and the person they call doesn't answer, they think nothing of it. Like I said, what may be a big deal to someone can be totally unrealistic to the other person.

I guess what I'm getting at through saying all of this, is that I've learned to love unconditionally. If you are my friend, you become part of my family. I have very few people that I would call "my friend". I "know" a lot of people and I "hang out" with a lot of people, but I have a very tight inner circle of "friends". So too all of you who are my friends, thank you.

Thank you for loving me despite all my crazy quirks. Thank you for putting up with all my rampages when they weren't necessary to begin with. Thank you for putting up with my constant singing. Thank you for picking me up when I don't have a ride. Thank you for picking up my check at dinner because you know I will do the same thing for you at the next meal. Thank you for being there at 2am when I need someone to talk to. Thank you for praying for me when I don't have the strength to pray for myself. Just...thank you.

I love each and every one of my friends like you are a member of my own family, and I can never express the full amount that you mean to me. Thank you.

Live for Him,
Stephen