My father once told me that my friends would be the people who stuck with me during the worst of times. Getting stuck in a bind which required some helping hand would show me who my true friends are. Not that he recommended that I do that and thankfully I haven’t been in that far of mess yet. (I’d say hopefully ever, but I know me too well!)
A true friend, my mother told me, was someone who didn’t care if you won or lost something. If you were clean or dirty. A true friend, my mother insisted, would be someone would pitch in and get dirty right along with you. Because a true friend wouldn’t care about the mess, just letting their heart help you out as best they could.
Both my parents assured me that no one has a lot of true friends. Fair weather friends who are along for the good times? Sure you will probably have a lot of those if you are blessed, they told me. But the ones who’d be stuck in the pouring rain with you, or bail you out of jam? Well you’d be truly blessed if you had one or two of those in your life.
And my parents assured me I would know who these people are compared to the others in my life. Which is true, I do. And I’m blessed to have them although I never tell them enough how I much I love them. And I take them for granted at times, not meaning to, but it happens because I’m a jerk that way.
Do you know who you can count on to bail you out–whether it’s from jail or a flooded boat? If you do, make sure you let that person or people in your life know what they mean to you.