I'd throw myself under a bus . . .

Because of some recent events with both my family and my friends, I began to wonder exactly how far friendship should go. The answer is: there is not limit. Friendship, TRUE friendship, is infinite.

A woman recently said to a group of us that she'd "throw herself under a bus" for someone. We all laughed. While I understood the sentiment, I doubted if she would actually take her own life for a friend, but then I thought about it. The sacrifices we make for friends don't have to be a literal interpretation of that phrase. The sacrifice comes in many forms: emotional, time, support, understanding, trust, and the list goes on.

Without my friends, would I have been as successful with my career as I have? Maybe. But who would have held my hand through the tough spots? Who would have boosted me over the bumps in the road? Who would have been there to cry with me and laugh with me and celebrate with me? Who would have been there when I just need someone to bitch to? My success is so much sweeter because of the dear friends I consider to be the wind beneath my wings.

Friends are sometimes like the seasons . . . they change, they each have their beauty and their dark side, they may flourish and they may die. But TRUE friends return to us. . . always. True friends forgive us when we say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing. True friends love us despite our blemishes, both physical and emotional. Cherish them, polish them and keep them safe like the precious gems they are.

Elizabeth