Water Rings

I once read an article that talked about friendship and how it's similar to the rings that form in water when it's disturbed. Friendship is very much like water. The rings closest to the center are your best friends. These friends can only be one or two and are the closest to you. From there, every ring outside the center are distant friends and acquaintances. The difference between the rings in the water and your ring of friends is that friends are interchangeable. This means that the friends closest to you may not always be in that 1st ring. Sometimes they move away, or sometimes the distant friends or acquaintances become your closest friends. There is no way to ever know or predict how these rings will shift. Some of us have had friends since kids that remain in the 1st ring to this day. In my case, the friends I had as a child aren't in any of my rings today. Sometimes, we have friends in our 1st ring but meet new people who take their place. Friendship isn't always easily navigated. It's a journey filled with peaks and valleys much like any other relationship. We have ups and downs, and sometimes blow ups even lead to break ups. Can you name the few friends in your 1st ring? How do you categorize your friendships? How do you know when the shifts occur? How do you know when it's time to call it quits on a friendship? What happens when one person wants to move on and the other does not? What are some of the qualities you look for in a best friend? Are they your friend because of convenience? Do they bring anything to your life or you to theirs? Do your friends come and go? If so, why do you think that is? Do you even have any best friends? What defines friendship for you? What turns a complete stranger into a friend? Friendship to me means that an unspoken bond has been formed. A bond between two people that can only be broken by those two people. Friendship means to trust someone with your truths. Friendship is enjoying someone's presence without any conditions. Friendship means being there, being available. Having a friend means I have someone to just listen when I need to speak and vice-versa. It means trust and honesty in any situation. It's give and take, a gentle balance of the two. Friendship is important, like water. We need it for nourishment, growth, change, and reflection. We need water to live but we need friendship to love. Everyone wants to feel loved, special, and important to someone. Be the friend you need to those who are proud to call you a friend. Take pride in your friendships. Stick up for them, protect them. Serve your friends and love them through the peaks and valleys. Friends shouldn't weigh you down, or bring toxic energy to your life. Friendship should be a lovely rapport between you and another person that enriches both of your lives. Sometimes it hurts to watch friendships crumble. It sucks to see close friends move to the outer rings. Just know that no matter if you have one friend, no friends, or 100 friends. People are just that; human. Don't take your friends for granted nor let them take advantage of you, and always treat them kindly and don't allow them to mistreat you. Friends don't have to always agree with each other or be on the same page but a friend will know the boundaries and respect them. In a world full of evil and hate, we need to spread love and joy. Reach out to your outer rings every now and then, you never know when someone loses a close friend and could use your friendship. I know I may not be the best friend but I love anyone and everyone who has ever graced my rings. It was/is a pleasure to call you my friend.