Well, I had a friend who wrote me a nasty letter once. To this day I do not know which friend wrote it. But she was definitely not a true friend. I just got a birthday card from a true friend and the card said to keep my friends close to me to keep me from falling down. Well, wouldn’t you know it……..right before I opened the birthday card I was out by my pool with my foot propped onto a lounge putting sunlotion on, and I fell down….kerplop. Ouchers, pool decks are not soft. and that’s the truth. ppppllllll! :-) Will you be my friend, Edith Ann? :-)

Edith Ann- I found two perfect friends for you, and elephant who paints! Elephants are very intelligent and social and like to eat greens: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He7Ge7Sogrk And this smart princess is culturally savvy and drinking a pretend strawberry daiquiri: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/28/watch-spitzer-scandal-ex_n_9395… Maybe the three of you could have a lunch date at Hamburger Hamlet!

Oh, and I bet you’d really love the Bonobos. They are even cooler than Buster. http://www.greatapetrust.org/bonobo/meet/index.php

Edith Ann: How timely that you should pose this question, cuz just yesterday I said goodbye to someone who I thought was my friend. I am actually not all that sad. There’s a line in a movie, (can’t remember which one, but I have always remembered it) that says: “People come and go in our lives like busboys in a busy restaurant.” We outgrow clothes and emotional responses, same with “friends.” I put that in “quotes” cuz don’t we sometimes mistake acquaintances for friends?……The reason I just jettisoned this person from my life is this: I had an epiphany moment. I chose to tell myself the truth. I was gifted with the insight of realizing that we had both changed over the years of a long distance friendship and it was no longer a fit. Will I have memories of more enjoyable times? Yes. and I also have fond memories of a 1920’s style silk dress I wore for Easter when I was 8 years old….Sometimes we outgrow things and people. Sad? Yes. There are more people to be friends with and for….thanks for reminding me. I have opened myself to making new friends on this very site.

Edith Ann, What about the Farkles? There must be a few around and what with all this new paternity testing going around you would have a topic to discuss. ;) SES http://www.metalcyberspace.com

I obsess over my friends. I am still fretting over losing my best friend 30 years ago because of something negative I said about her husband. How I wish I could snatch back those words. I also had a best bud many years older than myself, and about 18 months ago, her daughter called with sad news. I love you, Margaret. wherever you are now. I have two friends now named Nancy, one I have known for more than 30 years. We talk everyday. The second Nancy and I met on the Internet—we live on opposite coasts. We also talk everyday—and we have started a business and a mission, Writer’s Catablog, http://writerscatablog.com to restore respect to writing. My mother never had girl friends—she was a unit with her husband. I think other generations have been more friend-oriented. And I am glad! I have one friend, a man, I met in college. We speak several times a year. Each time, he closes with: “If you ever need me to come there or if you ever need anything, I will help.” He is also what I call a keeper.

I have a couple of great friends. I truly believe quality is better than quantity when it comes to friends. As a women I find it very hard to find other women that I want to be friends with, due to the fact that women my age are still caddy, husband stealin, and shallow individuals. I have avery special friend that I eat breakfast with once a week, and travel with. I also have another that I eat lunch with almost everyday and travel with. They are both 10 years older than me. after highschool I don’t think I ever had a friend my age.

Edith Ann, Here is a hailku I wrote about friendship a couple of years ago: Authentic friendship~ like gossamer spiders’ webs~ tenuous at best. Not sure it will format correctly in the post. The date says 12/31/1969???

By the way, Edith, your REAL friends wouldn’t have put up with you breaking up with them. They woulda waited a bit and then let you know they were still around.

I had something very similar happen to me, but now I have 5 very close female friends that I speak with every day on LiveJournal. And 3 friends I spend time with frequently in real life. I’ve really grown up and moved past the crap and dysfunctional relationships that I had in college. I’m so happy that time of my life is over and that the women I have to cherish now are good, healthy, loving people.

Miy best frend is without a doubt my husband. We do everything together. We go to the movies or just hang out at home. We go to work together and come home together. I look forward to times I get to go to break or eat lunch with him. He is a great man and has made me very happy for 38 years. I know he is irreplaceable. I have other friends but I have no friend as good as my husband.

“Sometimes when I’m alone, I sing, dance and do a commercial for myself”..but then I realize I need a refill…of friends :) Love you Edith Ann :)

Friends. I have a few. But then again. Too few to mention. My real friends are my husband, mom and sister. After that, I have many teacher acquaintances. But I have learned not to trust women from way back in school when I was extremely shy and failing grades. That made me a marked kid. A flunker. I had a few class friends, but was never encouraged to bring them home. Failing in school, having a big family around me made me afraid to stick my neck out. I later turned my life around by going back to uni as a mature student and acing my classes. Then on to teaching, motivational speaking and standup comedy. The comedy was my route to overcoming shyness. I am still wary of female friendships and choose carefully.