Having to go through my list for my 21st, it made me think a lot about how friendships fall under a lot of different categories.

Time waits for no one. And during that time, things change. People change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst. You say in highschool, or even primary school, "We'll be friends forever". But what is forever? Forever until you go to highschool and find new friends? Friends that you are more compatible with? Friends that you have more in common with? Friends that go to the same club as you? Friends that you call nearly everyday?

I used to be one of those naive children, saying I would stay 'friends forever' with everyone. But in reality, forever is just a word. It doesn't mean anything unless you put meaning into it. I admit, I haven't been the friend I thought I would be to some people. How many of you can say that you have kept your friends that you made in primary school? Many people can. Others can't. But it is so bad if you don't keep in touch with every single person you befriend? You meet a lot of people in your life and you try to keep a friendship with all of them. But there are different levels of friendship that you discover along your journey.

You have friends who you see walking down the street and you stop to have a mini catch up session. But you continue on your way knowing that you'll only ever see them again if you bump into them. They'll never call you or you'll never call them to arrange something more. But its ok, its mutual.

You have friends who you see once or twice a year but only talk about the significant things that have happened in your life. Again, you will meet these people at birthdays or special occasions but once it is over, you both go about your ways and never see each other again until the next gathering.

You have those friends who you see once a year but you feel so comfotable with them that you can still talk about anything and everything that has happened. And just maybe, these friends will call you up, or you will get their email address, email them or chat to them via internet every now and then.

You have friends who you don't call up so often but are still really good friends. You don't mix with them often because your busy schedules don't allow you to see each other as much as you would like but that doesn't stop you from calling them up every now and then and seeing how their life is going. They are seperate from your usual social group and therefore usually arrange formal catch up sessions with them at other times.

You have friends who you constantly hang out with just because they are part of your social group. You don't really know much about them, but you do know them on a general level. You muck around with them and have lots of fun but if you had a problem or an issue to discuss, they wouldn't be the first on your list. These people are just good to have fun with.

You have friends who border between those you have fun with and those you can have D&M's with. You feel comfortable having lots of fun with them and talking to them about personal issues but you don't share everything with them. They are people who in some areas are really good to talk to but not in others.

You have friends who you don't tell your deepest secrets to but know that they'll always be there for you no matter what. You could be feeling really down one day and be in a bad mood but you know that these people will understand and give you your space or time. They know when to stop joking around and be serious. They know things about you because you hang around them so much, not because you talk to them a lot.

You have friends that are one sided, in which they confide in you but you don't feel comfortable confiding in them. Or vice-versa. its not that they don't care about your life, its more that you don't want to share it with them. But that's ok, because that's the type of friendship you have with them and understand that this works well. You have other people who you would rather share your issues with. But you are glad that they can confide in you.

You have friends who you can call up once a week and are your 'bestest' friends. You talk about anything and everything. You conversations can last up to hours because you get along so well and love each others company. You go out on outings together doing whatever you both love to do whether it'd be clubbing, drinking, having coffee, hanging out at a friends place, playing sport etc. And you know that these people are your closest friends. People you make the effort to keep in touch with. These people are good to talk because they give great advice about any problem you may have. They know you inside out. They know your weaknesses and they know your strengths. They know your likes and your dislikes. They know you for you. You don't have many of these friends, but in this case, less is more.

Then you start to have friends who are slightly more than friends. But I shall leave that discussion for another day.

I'm sure there are more categories that you could put friends into, but these are the main ones that I thought were worth mentioning. As a child, a friend is a friend. They are all your 'bestest' friends. You are either someone's best friend or not. Children's view are so simple and very black and white. It is either one thing or the other. There is no in between. Sometimes I wish I could think like a child again.

my thoughts @ 3:30 PM

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