Older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends

My topic of today is friendship, if you haven't guessed by the pictures above.

I guess I never realized how great of friends I actually have.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the close friends that I have, but I guess I

didn't realize how many I can count on.

And I have different categories.

A) The high school friends: they are the ones that I've known forever and probably will never forget in my lifetime. Seriously, these girls have been with me since kindergarten. They've known me the longest and knew what I was like growing up. But people change. I changed when I came to college. I grew into this person that I am today. I wasn't always like this. I was once a quiet, shy little girl that wouldn't speak her mind. Well that definitely went out the window.

B) My freshmen year friends: I met this group of girls my freshmen year of college. We all lived on the same floor and we just clicked. We had the same values and interests, and we all acted crazy. Now that I'm in my third year, we've stayed connected and they are some of the best friends that anyone could ask for. Some have come and gone, and that's unfortunate. But that's, I suppose. Like I said, people change. I don't know what I would do without this amazing group of friends that I have in my life right now. I always wonder what I would have turned out like if I had gone somewhere else, met a totally different group of people. Would I be different? Yeah, I believe so. They helped me change into a better, more mature person. I love them all so much and I hope they know that.

I'm sitting here, staring at a picture of my best friend from high school and her boyfriend. We used to be so close. I guess that's what happens when you go to different colleges. We drifted, but we still tried to make an effort. It makes me sad, but I haven't talked to her in about two months. We text sometimes, and email. But I actually haven't laid eyes on her since.. well since December. That was almost six months ago. That's just not right.

My roommate is a really good friend of mine. We hang out a lot. Recently she went overseas. I didn't know what I would do, since she was one of the people I liked to hang out with the most. But with her gone, I realized that I have so many other friends that I seemed to have neglected. Now, I have an opportunity to just be with them again and get to know them all over again. And I'm excited. For instance, I just spent an hour talking to a friend that I hadn't seen for almost two months. How sad is that?

Friendship is a two way street and anyone who tells you different is lying to you. It takes time and effort to build a friendship, but in the end it's worth it. You have a person you can trust with your secrets and to be there for you when you need it. Friendship is golden. I just wonder what I would do without these friends that I have.

So cherish the friends you have. Spend time with them. Don't let your relationship slip away. I know you're busy. We all are. But you still have to make time for them.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Definition-of-Friendship---A-Few-Facts&id=1267049

I found this interesting. What is the definition of friendship?