Friendship Is a Funny Thing

I have recently been reminded about the meaning of friendship. A guy I've known since kindergarten called me a couple of days ago to check on a sick family member. Now, he's never met the person that is sick, but he called anyway to see how things were going. And yes, kindergarten was almost three decades ago.

We remained friends through school, college, and even while I served in the Army. We've kept in touch even years later after we were both married with children. You married people reading this know how tough that is.

Last year, when my step-dad passed away, he was there. I called to tell him the news and instructed him not to try to make the funeral because he lived so far away. Well, like clockwork, he called before the funeral and said he'd be there. You see, he had gotten off the phone with me and made arrangements with his in-laws, which live in a different town, to watch his daughter for the weekend. When I asked him why he did it, he simply replied, "You'd have done the same." And, he was right.

Now the crazy thing is that during our school years neither one of us would have thought the other one would be "that friend". Turns out that all of those people we thought would always be there were just friends at the time. That doesn't mean they were bad friends, we all just grew separate ways.

The friend I referenced earlier has always been the kind of guy you could count on. Last week the church he attends recognized his qualities by making him an ordained deacon. His character has always shown through like that. He remained a friend even during my times of straying from the path of righteousness.

So there it is, the funny thing about friendship is the fact that you never know who your lifelong friend will be. But, a true friend will endure through adolescent stupidity, young adulthood's lessons, and into mature leaders of the community. Friendship is one of the greatest gifts we can offer one another. Knowing that no matter what is going on in their own lives and no matter what the circumstances are, we'll have that someone right beside us when we need them is a great

thing.