I have always made friends easily. They are a necessary part of my life. My oldest friend has been in my life since I was an infant. Our mothers were friends before we were even a year old. I consider this woman a part of my family. We've been separated and not talked for years at a time, but we always come back together. Right now and probably for the rest of our lives we'll be close and in touch. We've gotten to the point in our lives where we appreciate our history and accept each other completely.

There are other people in my life that I call my best friends. I'm thinking of two women specifically. I see them almost everyday and they know things about me no one else will ever know! They are loyal to a fault and I know I can count on them for absolutely anything. They can also count on me for absolutely anything. They are different from each other and from me, but we've formed a unique bond and I am blessed to be loved by them.

There is another woman I consider a best friend, but I don't see her consistently. She is so unique and so different from me. She is a little scary to me! She has more faith and spirituality then anyone I know! I have learned more from this woman about faith and trust in God and in oneself than anyone else in my life.

I have another friendship that is in the development stage! This person trust me and I have shared things with her that I haven't shared with others. We have some "life similarities" and I guess for that reason we've begun to form a bond. I like to go out with her. We tend to "kick back" and just enjoy whatever is happening around us.

Then there's my sister. She has become a true "sister friend" in the last year. I love her! It's funny to me when I think about our relationship and how it's progressed over the years. She is awesome!

I've always had guy friends too. I have several now. One is someone from my adolescents. He's just come back into my life recently. We talk at least once a week and email and text too. He's always had my back and still does today. He's the guy that always liked me and wanted to go out, but our timing was always off and still is!

Another is a guy from college. I met him when I was dating my ex-husband. We were friends because they were friends. Now we are allies! He's been so supportive through my divorce. He is also divorced and has that "been there, done that" thing.

Both of these men live in different states than me, but even if we were next door neighbors, there really would be no chance of anything happening between us. They are truly friends!

I tell you all this because without these people I would not be me. They each have contributed to who I am and who I am becoming. They each play a role in my life and teach me things I need to move forward in my life. Even though they have different places in my life and my heart, they keep me honest and truthful with myself and even the world.

Embrace the people in your life. Allow yourself to trust the role of all of your friends. Trust yourself to be a friend too. You have so much to offer the people in your life. Be loyal to those around you. Do your best not to judge; accept and learn from differences.