A Toast to My Real Friends

They say you find out who your real friends are as you get older. I beg to differ. I think as you go through grade school, you make new friends, you lose friends, you rekindle old friendships and the cycle is never ending. I think when you graduate and move onto a job or to college, you pretty much do the same thing. Your high school friendships fall off, or even strengthen. Your newly found college friends become the majority of your life; for a little while. Then you graduate and probably move back home again. Then those old friendships rekindle themselves, yet again and the vicious cycle continues. I think that there are at least 1 or 2 people in your life that will remain your greatest friends no matter where you live or what school you go to or what job you take. Those aren't called best friends. Because a best friend is someone who is temporary. They are the best for you and your life in that exact moment. They are what you need right then and there. No, those friends who last a lifetime, those are called real friends. Real friends tell it like it is. Real friends support your insane dreams. And real friends, never let the friendship fall off, not even for a second. In my personal experience, I've made new friends very frequently and I've lost many many friendships. Not that those were "bad" friends, but because things just didn't work out.

You know when you really figure out who your real friends are? It's when life has done nothing but punch you in the face and they are right there to pick you up, dust you off and then laugh at you. Real friends will push you to pursue your almost impossible dreams because there are only two outcomes to that: 1. you succeed and become rich and can help support them or 2. you fall on your face and they are there to again pick you up, dust you off and laugh at you.

I know it seems like everything I am saying sounds like a horrible friend, but you're wrong. These are the people who can celebrate in your success, but support you in your failures. The only reason they laugh is because they have absolute faith that you will be just fine. These real friends are hard to come by and they are not easily seen. I can honestly say I have about three real friends.

Deciding to study abroad in Lima really put so many things into perspective. It meant that I wouldn't be seeing my friends or family for 4 entire months. Even though that obstacle stood in front of me, those same people help me hurdle it and get to the otherside. My last few days at home were really eye-opening. The people who made time for me, even in the slightest ways, you are so appreciated. And for those who did not and I thought would, I respect your decisions and I hope you respect mine to diassociate myself from you. Life is not about how many people love you, but how much those people do. So here's a toast to my real friends. I love you.

~Feed the Soul