Friends know you best

I once had a friend who I could call after six months of not talking and pick up like we had spoken just yesterday. People were often surprised that we could live across the country from each other and not talk but still be thick as thieves the minute the phone rang. This friendship lasted for 10 years. During that time, we only lived in the same state for the first six months or so. We lived about an hour way for the last six months as well.

In fact, being close and talking all the time contributed to the destruction of that particular friendship.

In most cases friends are the people who know us best, especially as we get older. Many of us become distant with our families as we move away from home. Others get caught up in starting new families which can create barriers to making new friends and letting people into our lives.

But it is the old friends, the ones who’ve been with us through thick, thin and everything in between who become our touchstones in life. Friends are those who’ve kept up with the changes in our lives and they know the people we’ve become. Often they experienced the growing pains right along with us.

I’m visiting friends this week, spending the holidays with them instead of my family this year. My family is a little scattered so I’ve been given the chance to do something different this year. The beauty of hanging out with friends during a holiday is that I don’t have to make excuses if I want to go home or be alone at some point. My friends know me well enough to understand my moods and my tendency to spend time on my own. They also don’t have the urge to guilt trip me.