20 minutes or 20 years

When I was little, I used to believe in the concept of one

best friend, and then I started to become a woman.  And

then I found out that if you allow your heart to open up,

God would show you the best in many friends.

One friend's best is needed when you're going through

things with your children.  Another friend's best is needed

when you're going through things with your mamma.

Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke,

or just be.

One friend will say lets pray together, another lets cry

together, another lets fight together, another lets walk

away together.

One friend will meet your spiritual needs, another your

shoe fetish, another your love for movies, another will be

with you in your season of confusion, another will be your

clarifier, another the wind beneath your wings.

But whatever their assignment in your life, or whatever

the occasion, on whatever the day, or where ever you

need them to meet you with their guym shoes on and hair

pulled back or to hold you back from making a complete

fool of yourself...those are your friends.

It may all be wrapped up in one woman, but for many it's

wrapped up in several..one from 4th grade, several from

high school, several from the college years, a couple from old

jobs, several from church, on some days your mother, on others your sisters, and on some days it's the one that you needed just for that day or week that you needed someone with a fresh perspective, or the one who didn't know all your baggage, or the one who would just listen without judging...those are good best friends.

I thank my friends, those who honor intimacy, those

who hold trust, and those who hold me up when life is

just too heavy!  The special bond we share is unique.

Thanks for the words we've shared.  The prayers we've

sent up.  The laughs, the tears, the phone calls, the emails, the

shopping, the movies, the lunches, the dinners, the

talking, talking, talking and the listening, listening, listening.

So whether you've been there 20 minutes or 20 years,

THANK YOU!