Friends

Friends are a wonderful thing to have. But when you think about it, there are many types of friends.

You have your fun friends. The lets go shopping, to a movie or out to eat. These friends are great but, usually they will come and go throughout your life. These are the superficial friends who never know the real you. These seem to be the majority of friends.

Then there is what I call the middle friends. They are great friends that you share things with. These will stay with you and you enjoy their company. But they never really get below the surface of the real you. They know you but not the deep down you. These are special friends that you care for and hold dear to you. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between middle friends and best friends. Usually it take a crisis and when you need them, they aren't there.

But a true, dear, best friend is a very special person. If you have one or two of them in your life then you are truly blessed. A best friend is someone you can bare your soul to and who will never judge. They will sit and hold you when you cry and cry with you. They understand your hurt and hurt with you. When you need them, they never question they are just there. They think of you before themselves. There is a special bond and love between you. You never know when you will meet this person. Sometimes the bond happens right away and sometimes it grows over time. Shared experiences, both good and bad help bond you. A best friend does not have to be a special gender. It can be male or female.

I have had many friends throughout my life. But I have had few truly best friends. Moving around as much as I did as a child taught me early to guard myself against getting too close to someone. That can be good and bad. It takes me a long time to truly open up to someone. I have had hundred of friends in life but I can count my true friends on one hand. That is not necessarily bad. Your Grandfather was the closest friend I have ever had in my life. He was my friend before he was my husband and he knew me better than I know myself. I also found that special friendship in your mother's Godmother. Nancy and I hit it off the first time we met. What is special is that we could go for months without talking and pick up where we left off. I never doubted that when I needed her, Nancy would be there for me.

Your mother and I are fortunate to have a bond that most mother's and daughter's don't have. We have found that we can honestly be friends. I really like the woman that your mother has grown into. I respect her and admire her. I will always be her mother but I like to think that I am a close friend to her too. I know she is my dear friend. I feel doubly lucky to have her as both a daughter and a friend.

Learning to distinguish middle friends from best friends can be hard and many times is a hard lesson to learn. You will get hurt in the process. I have watched your mother struggle with this when she was younger. Luckily, as she has grown, she has found that one true friend. Not only in your father but in your Godmother. They have found that special bond that is so special. I truly believe that this will be a friendship that will last forever.

I wish for you, my sweet Serif, many many friends. But I truly wish for you those one or two very special friends that will see you through all the life's bumps.