To Hell and Back

12.28.09 - 'Cuz when I'm bored and feeling uninspired, my drafts folder never fails lol.

I have dozens of "friends." Hundreds of acquaintances. And an embarrassingly impressive "social network." If I'm at a crowded club, or at the mall I'm bound to run into someone I know ... or at least know of. But when it comes to the nitty gritty, I can count on one hand who my real girls/boys are.

These are the people who will step away from their post at work and risk getting written up just to answer their phone because they know it's unlikely that u'd call at that time of day. The people who will stay on the phone with u while they're at work just so u have someone to talk to. The people who will drive across a bridge and through an hour and 40 minutes of traffic just to drive back through it and make sure ur safe on their couch and not home alone. The people who will stay up with u 'till 2am when they have to get up in 2 hours just so u aren't crying by urself. The people who let u crash their Kris Kringle party to make sure ur not spending Sunday alone with ur thoughts, as depressing and crazy as they are. The people who text u throughout the day to check up on u and force u to eat. The people who will aim u back about the same old shit and never let u see that ur driving them crazy. The people who don't want u to drink because they don't want to see u turn into an absolute mess and do something u'll regret the next day. The people who cry with u even when they're doing fine. The people who pick u up when ur sobbing on the bathroom floor when you're kicking and screaming just to stay down there. The people who will let u cry and cry and cry in the passenger seat, not say a word, and just let u BE. The people who will forever have a couch or spare room or slot in their day open for u no matter how crowded their spot or busy their schedule. The people who attend ur pity party just so ur not the only one there. The people who remind u every single day that u are beautiful, and u deserve to be happy, and u are worth more than a million stars, and u are not a horrible person - even though u don't believe them. The people who would share some of ur pain if they could, just so they can see u hurt a little less.

These are the people who would walk to hell and back for you if they knew they'd eventually find a happy, smiling, vibrant, YOU somewhere along the way. Because they know that you'd do the same for them in a heartbeat.

While the love from a friend or family member may never replace that kind of love - it is still one of the greatest loves a person can ever have. So just like u shouldn't push away a boyfriend or girlfriend that truly cares for u, u shouldn't push away the help offered from friends. Change comes from within, but we can't do it alone.

They say "Friends are the family u get to choose." If thats the case, then I've never made a better decision in my life.