Friendship is not something to take lightly. It is a relationship like any other in your life, though our most true best friend usually knows more about us than anyone else - including where all the bodies are buried.

And like any relationship, there is give and take, though sometimes there is more give from one side and taking from another. But a true friendship is one that can withstand anything, and I mean anything. Some friendships start when we are kids and continue growing until we are old and decrepit, others start out somewhere in the middle and are just as strong. Friendship is not defined by age - it is limitless.

Friendship is born when two people form a bond between each other that strengthens with each laugh or cry. The more you share, the closer you become. The closer you become, the stronger the friendship. The stronger the friendship, the tighter the bond. Friendship is like a marriage without the sex really - except you have more freedom.

Your best friend knows your deepest, darkest secrets and still wants to be your friend. She laughs at all your jokes, even when they are not funny, and is honest enough with you to tell you that you suck at karaoke. She is the person you immediately think of when something goes wrong in your life. When your parents die, she is crying just as hard as you are because she loved them as much as you did. She is a part of your family, after all. She is the person you want to call when you find out you got a raise or your house just sold. She is always there for you when you need her and you can't imagine your life without her in it, and you know she feels the same way about you. The bond is tight and can't be broken. It is something that will forever be there - without question.

I believe most people are truly themselves when they are with their true friends, more so than when they are with anyone else, including their spouses or their family. It is just the way it is. We let loose and act crazy, laugh, cry, and say things we might not normally say when we are with friends. We feel we can truly be ourselves. And it is our friends who will tell us the truth - the absolute truth - whether we like it or not. Sometimes it hurts, and sometimes it makes you laugh so hard you pee your pants. And when they call you pee pee pants for the next month or two, you will fondly remember why you love them so much.

Learn more about this author, Robin A..
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