-- Todd May
Facebook friends, work friends, old high school friends, friends with benefits -- there are all kinds of friends out there. Some merely stick their big toe into the stream of your life; others jump right in and cause a big splash.
We need all kinds, but perhaps the best, the most important friends, are the ones willing to be there in the thick of things with us, no matter what. They're not location-specific, or time-bound. They're not just your friends because you happen to work together or live next door to each other. They don't show up in an instant and fade out the next. They are with us for the long haul. Not only do they step into the stream of our lives, they let our streams co-mingle so that our lives nourish and impact each other.
One of the reasons that these soul friends are so important is that they are so rare. Most of us can count their number on one hand. That's OK. Three to five really good, lifelong friends is plenty -- we've each got a stream, not an ocean! You know who they are; they know who you are, without either of you having to say a damn thing about it. (OK, except maybe when you're both really drunk, and you get them in a headlock and slur, "I love you, buddy!").
But just because you don't talk about it, doesn't mean that you don't recognize the richness that these relationships bring to your life. One of the most wonderful things about these soul friendships is that you don't have to try to maintain them -- they are a given. That doesn't mean, though, that you should take them for granted.
Is there a true friend out there that you've not paid much attention to lately? If so, today is a great day to consciously reach out, give back, or show some form of appreciation. Go wade into the stream of their life for awhile, or invite them to sashay into yours. Hell, if they're really good friends, invite them to leap in, skinny dip and do the backstroke!
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