Friendships, love em' or leave em', they all teach us something.

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We've all had friendships; some are lasting, some are fleeting, and others are down right irritating and exhausting.  No matter where the road of friendship has taken you, you can bet that each person that has entered your life has been placed there for a very specific reason, and that there is something you are supposed to learn from them, or take away from the time you were fortunate enough to spend with them.

There is no doubt that friendships can be trying at times.  That being said, friendships are a two-way street, and as perfect as we would like to think we are, we do have our own flaws, and often we neglect to accept that fact.  The point of today's blog is to get you to appreciate all that you have in those that you call friends.

It's easy to take things for granted from time to time.  Most of us feel as though that we will have friends forever, and for the most part this is true. However, there are times, when no matter how many friends you have, we have feelings of loneliness and despair.  Friendships bring us what we need in life.  Some people have more friends then can be counted, while others keep a very short list of those who mean the most to them.  No matter how many friends you have, it's save to say that people who come into your life come in for a very specific reason, even if you don't realize it at first.

Why are friendships so important?  Well, in life, there is no denying that you can't do everything by yourself.  As good as one might be at whatever they are attempting to do, there comes a time when you are going to need the assistance of those around you. Who better to help then someone you trust, and not just a stranger off the street.  Friends bring comfort, they bring love, they bring understanding, and most of all, they bring themselves.  There is no need to be someone you're not when it comes to true friendship.  Being your authentic self is so easy when you are around those you love, that love you, and that accept you.  Even in your quirkiness, friends are there for you through thick and thin.

How do you want to be remembered when it comes to friendship?  The words that come to mind are loyal, loving, forgiving, and probably the most important, accepting.  I want people around me who accept me for who I am.  I want people around me who love me for me.  It's not what I have that is important, it is who I am.  True friends love you for you, just you.  There is nothing better then being able to drop the facades that many have worn in an effort to fit in.  True friends allow us to be who we are, all the good, sometimes the bad, but always just who we are.

Look back on those lasting friendships that you have.  What has been the main ingredient to these relationships?  What holds a friendship together is not surface stuff, they are held together by a never ending desire to be around them.  These people who bring a smile to your face simply by being in the same room with them.  They lighten up the mood, they shine light on almost any situation, and they bring a calmness that is so needed in the world today.  True friends provide us with a comfort that makes even the darkest day seem like something that can be overcome.

If you are fortunate enough to have close, loving friends, then make it a point today to reach out to them and let them know what they mean to you.  Even the most successful, well established people need to know they are appreciated for what they bring to others.  If you love them, tell them that.  If you appreciate them, tell them that.  If they know you better then you know yourself, then tell them that.  When you are able to share encouragement with others, you are encouraged.  When you are able to be thankful for others, you are more thankful.  When you are able to accept love from others, then you are more loving, and love is what makes the world go round.

I have friends who I would do anything for.  There is nothing that I would not do for my partner.  I don't do because I am forced to, I do because I love him.  He is my best friend, and I can't imagine my life without him in it.  Friends, no matter where they fall on the spectrum, are present in our life to make life more of what it is supposed to be like.  Imagine for a moment a life free from stress, free from worry, and free from those things that cause us pain and suffering.  A life free from all the negative is a life that is full of friends, loving, caring, devoted friends.

Yes we have had friends that have come and gone, but once again, if you are honest with yourself, you have learned something from everyone that has been in your life.  Take a few moments today to think back on all those who have crossed your path, and try to see the good that has come from each of them.  There will be times when friendships end, but how they end is not nearly as important as what you should have learned during the time these people were in your life.  I have had friends that have come and gone, and there are several that I would love to have back in my life.  The question I have to ask myself is this: am I willing to do what it takes to bring them back?  Sometimes the answer is yes, and sometimes the answer is no, but only you can make the decision.

Reach out to those who you love and let them know that you love them.  Friends need to know what they mean to you just as much as you need to know they are there for you when you need them.  Once again, friendship is a two-way street, and when you are able to give and take, then you have balanced out the equation.  I Love my friends, and I hope that I am able to show them that love each and every day.  Make a phone call today,  send a text, but let them know that you are thinking about them, and these thoughts bring a smile to your face.