What Makes A Good Friend

WHAT MAKES A GOOD FRIEND

by Yours Truely

Eleventy-Fourth Grade

• A good friend leaves anonymous care packages on your front porch then realizes that in your present situation "anonymous" takes on a whole new meaning. She then calls and tells you to check your front porch and no, it's not a bomb or dismembered neighborhood animals.
• A good friend rummages through her knitting bag and produces the exact needle you need for your next project so you don't have to buy a new one.
• A good friend realizes that food stamps don't cover pet food and drops off many huge bags of your brand of pet food at work. She also includes a grocery gift card for those pesky humans.
• A good friend tells you to put down the baseball bat.
• A good friend doesn't just tell you to step away from the edge, she grabs the back of your coat and pulls you away from the edge.
• A good friend reminds you how strong you are even when your curled in the fetal position and the phone is soaking wet with your tears.
• A good friend teams up with another good friend and stops in to visit on their trip from the cities up the Northshore.
• A good friend tells you to "Bring the pets over for a visit! And I've got beer!"
• A good friend stops and catches her breath when you tell her what you found out about the sexual abuse perpetrated against your child. She then is immobilized by her anger and disgust and does the only thing possible. She gives you a hug.
• A good friend tells you on the sly "Not that I'm promoting violence, but if you ever need a possee leader, I'm your gal."
• A good friend takes you out to lunch and never once acts like she wishes you would JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP FOR ONCE!
• A good friend hands you a kleenex when you cry and when you look up at her, she's crying too.
• A good friend knows that when she looks into your eyes and sees hopelessness, loss, and abandonment, that she is the most important person in the universe.

Yesterday and today have been two of the hardest days in my life. (And when you've lived through the death of two parents, the suicide of a sibling, and childhood sexual abuse, THAT is saying a lot.)

MY FRIENDS ROCK!