Friendship

Today's gift is friendship.

My daughter has taught me so much about friendship from her friends to mine!  She has taught her friends what being a friend is all about.  It is about being there for the person when they need you the most;  it is about liking them for who they are, not what they have;  it is about understanding that we are all different and sometimes some of us have harder situations to deal with; it is about being understanding, caring, trustworthy and forgiving.

This week I have my last week of camp at my house that I started for my daughter last summer (to see that blog please visit www.campamica.blogspot.com).   She has 3 of her typical peers from her third grade class   at camp this week (one who had been at camp earlier this summer could not make it this week).  These are her true friends!  They "get" her;  they understand that some days are good days and some days are bad days; they understand she needs more time to answer questions; they understand she gets frustrated and when she does they get upset as they don't like seeing their friend upset; they understand she is just like them, but she has extra challenges to deal with every day.

Watching my daughter with her friends made me realize that my friendships with my friends are based on the same foundation; however, sometimes I have friendships with some friends that seem like more work and watching my daughter with her friends, makes me realize it doesn't need to be that way.  Before my daughter was diagnosed with special needs, we had a number of friends....and we still do.  However, what has changed over the past 5 1/2 years is we have found out who our "true" friends are and I will be honest, there are some people who I thought would always be by my/our side who are not.  But in their place, we have welcomed so many new friends into our lives who love our "whole" family and take a genuine interest in all my children.  Just like my daughter needs friends by her side (everyone deserves a friend!), I need friends too-- to help me get through rough days, to help me relax, to laugh and cry with me, to go shopping with or grab a drink, to call or text, or to just be there when I need someone.

All my friends combined are incredible as they each give ME a different GIFT!  I am beyond blessed to have such amazing friends in my life and I hope they realize how special they are to me.  My daughter is equally as blessed to have incredible friends in her life too and I hope they realize that their friendship to HER is a true GIFT.

Here are some of my favorite quotes about friendship....

Don't walk behind me, I may not lead; don't walk in front of me, I may not follow; Just walk beside me and be my friend- Albert Camus

Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave and impossible to forget

The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing...not healing...not curing...that is a friend who cares- Henri Nouwen

The language of friendship is not words, but meanings- Henry David Thoreau

Friendship isn't about who you have known the longest.  It is about who came.....stayed by your side, and never left you when you needed someone the most.