Somebody once asked me whether my friends were truly 'friends', or simply 'acquaintances'. I was quite taken aback, but had to agree that she was right to ask.
Yes, I have a lot of acquaintances. I like people. Well, most of the time anyway. I count 'acquaintances' as people I have known briefly. I like them enough to chat to them; maybe we'll share a cup of coffee at lunch time; maybe we'll chat at a club. We share each other's company briefly and often only in passing.
Isn't making someone's acquaintance the first step to becoming their friend in time? The smallest seed with a potential to grow into the largest tree? Real friendships don't happen over night. They have to be carefully nurtured.
And yes, I do have a lot of friends. True friends. From all walks of life. People who care about me and mine, as I care about them and theirs. We are 'there' for each other in the truest sense. There are some very close friends to whom I refer to as my 'elected family'. Shared blood couldn't make us closer! We share each other's joy and heartache.
That said and done we all acknowledge that we share different parts of ourselves with different friends. We cannot possibly be all things to all people. We don't have to live in each other's pockets or share the same breath of air. That isn't possible. Or necessary. For us, the accent on friendship is on the 'caring'.
What do you think defines 'a friend'?
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