Real Friends.

          As we grow up, we meet all kinds of people. Some of them, we think are going to be in our lives forever, others, we know are just a phase. Having a baby truly makes you realize who your real friends are, and who will be there no matter what. When I had my son, no one was there. No one came to visit, no one stopped by when I got home, and no one said goodbye when I moved a state away...but could I blame them? No. How could I? We were all just graduating high school, and everyone was going off to college. Who would ever want to sit at home with me and a crying baby, rather than go out and party it up? I wouldn't. Now that my son is older, and all of my friends are deciding to have babies now...now they all come back around. I'm at the point in my life, and I'm comfortable saying that I have come to the conclusion that I have about 4 true friends that I know will be in my life for forever. 
          I don't hold grudges because they weren't there for the birth of my son. I don't get mad that it took months for them to return phone calls. I don't want to be spiteful because I was alone and they expect me to be there for them now that they're in the same situation....We were young. I've had one best friend, that's been there through thick and thin. We're been friends since preschool, and I cherish that for the simple fact that. not a lot of people can say that. Not a lot of people have lifelong friends. She was in college when my son was born. We talked occasionally, but not much...she was doing the college thing, and I was doing the Mom thing. When she came home, she met someone and ended up pregnant. I visited her in the hospital, and held her beautiful son. I spent a lot of time with her when he was first born. I would go over and help out with him when my son was at his fathers house.
          I realized that sometimes people come and go, but the real ones always come back. She now has a daughter, a husband, a house, and two dogs. She went to nursing school while raising two babies, and graduated top in her class. We don't see each other much, but I've realized more and more that, friends aren't the people you go out and have drinks with every night, they're not the people that call you only when they have a problem, they're not the people that only want something to do with you when you're single and can go out clubbing all the time. Real friends are the ones you can go days, maybe even weeks, without talking to, and when you finally get a chance to call them between dinner, bath and bedtime, they take the time to talk to you and actually care about what's been going on in your life. Friends don't have to be attached at the hip, they understand that we're older now, we all have our own lives and things to take care of. They get the fact that, just because you haven't talked in a while, whenever one needs the other, they'll always be there. 
          I'm fortunate enough to have a very select few friends that have been there for me through almost everything. I'd rather have a few close friends...than a million acquaintances. These people know my secrets. They know my past, my mistakes, my joys, fears, pains and regrets...and they still love me for me. To me, that's what a real friend is. I think that when you become a parent, it's very important to have a few close friends. They help to keep you sane. They're an outlet when you feel overwhelmed. They're the voice of reason, when you feel irrational. They're a shoulder to cry on, on a bad day. They're a helpful insight when you just need a smile. When I sit back and take a minute to think about my life, what I've been through, and who's still here to be a part of it now...I consider myself very lucky. I have a whole nother family that may not be blood..but they're heart, and to me, that means just as much. :)