"You Gotta, Gotta Have Friends"

As we make it through these days of our lives, if we don't have friends we don't have anything. Friends are what make life worth living and joys worth sharing. Now some people would say family is more important than friends, but I say it is even better when your family members are your friends.

I have always relied on my friends for support and companionship. Maybe that's because I have only one sibling and both my parents are dead. Plus all the aunts and uncles I once had are now gone. That does happen in life. The family that seems so large and close when we are small somehow fades away or moves away as we get older. But friends are more inclined to stay.

It has been almost thirty years since I moved to Perry, Georgia. My wife and I came to town basically not knowing a soul. We knew which church we wanted to attend and as soon as we did we began to make friends. And those friends are still with us today. Plus over the years we have made new friends and still add to that list each and every day.

Again that is an advantage in friends over family. Family members are finite while friends are ever expanding. Haven't you ever gone somewhere, met someone, and just clicked. Before you know it you are friends and you have slipped into that role without even thinking about it.

I have also gained friends through the Internet. Now before you start rolling your eyes, let me say that the people in the group I deal with are very nice and it is all on the up and up. The group is called "the Porch" and the members are all aspiring writers. We all try to encourage each other and be a listening post for any problems, etc. Most of the people I "chat" with I have never met - some I have. But they all are great people and I consider them to be friends.

Life is just too complicated to travel through alone. You need people who you can be yourself with; people who accept you as you are; people who love you, cherish you, and encourage you. If these people are family and your friend, then that is a double blessing, but in a lot of cases your family members are not your friends. They are just people who have to put up with you because you are related.

If you are having a bad day one of the best things you can do for yourself is go out and make a friend. These people can be any age and any gender. No one is too young to be a friend and no one is too old. Honest, that is true!

So cherish your friends and keep them beside you. And when you make your list of things for which you are thankful, be sure to put your friends at the very top. To have a full life you just gotta have friends!

 

 

 

 

 

©2005 Jackie K. Cooper

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