A Lifetime's Not Too Long To Live as Friends

 There is a difference between being an  acquaintance and being a
friend first, an acquaintance is someone whose name you know whom you see
every now and then with whom you probably have something in common and
round whom you feel comfortable. It's a person that you can invite to
your home and share things with. But they are people with whom you
wouldn't share your life, whose actions sometimes you don't understand
because you don't know enough about them... On the other hand, a  friend
is someone you love. Not that you are "in love" with him or her, but you
care about the person, and you think about him or her when they are not
there. Friends are the people of whom you are reminded when you see
something they might like, and you know this because you know them so well.

 They are the people whose pictures you have and whose faces are in your
head regardless. They are the people you see in your mind when you hear a
song on the radio because they made you go up to the person they like and
ask them to dance with them; or maybe YOU danced with them, maybe they
stepped on your toes, or just out their head on your shoulder. They are
the people around whom you feel safe because you know they care about
you. They call just to see how you are doing, because friends don't need
an excuse. They tell you the- - the first time- - and you do the same.

 You know that if you have a problem, they are there to listen. They are
the people who won't laugh at you or hurt you, and if they do hurt you,
they try hard to make it up to you. They are the people you love,
regardless of whether you realise it. They are the people with whom you
cried when you got rejected from colleges and during the last at prom and
at graduation. They are the people that when you hug them, you don't think
about how long to hug and who's going to be the first one to let go.
Maybe they are the people that hold the rings at your wedding, or maybe
they are the people that give you away at your wedding, or maybe they are
the people you marry. They are certainly the people who cry at your
wedding because they are happy, or because they are proud, or because they
are so in love. They are the people who stop you from making mistakes and
help you when you do. They stick with you and stand by you. They hold your
hand. They watch you live, and you watch them live, and you learn from
them. Your life is not the same without them. These are your friends.

 How many do you have?

 This is not a chain letter, this is from the heart. Send it to the
people who are your friends, who used to be your friends, who need
friends, or just those people who need something to make them realise that
they have friends.