Friends.

There is a saying about friends that has been in my heart since I was a teenager.

"Some friends are there for a lifetime, some for a season."

It's true, but it's more than that.

Some friends are the taxi cabs in our lives. They don't always take us where we want to be, and sometimes they turn out to not be who we thought they were. Sometimes they turn out to be creepy and we rejoice moving on, and sometimes we are sad their time in our lives is over.

Some friends are the lighted traffic signs in your life, directing you on your journey. They do not follow you, but they point out the way. They are the guide posts that direct us, the maps that help us through.

Some friends are our reflections. We see what we need to see when we look at them. Sometimes we don't like what we see, but if we are honest with ourselves, we know we need it. 

Some friends sit with you in the quiet depths of your soul. They know you. Intimately. They recognize your soul even when you do not and they will plunge into the darkness with you until you recognize yourself again. They do not just hold the light until you find your way, they are the light. They hold space for you and know when to listen and when to speak up.

Some friends you laugh with, some you cry with. And if you're lucky, you will have at least one friend that you can do both with. Perhaps both done in one night where you sit on the roof in the moonlight, drinking a steaming hot chocolate, eating fresh chocolate chip cookies, and just talking and enjoying each other's company. Or perhaps one late summer evening, sitting on the porch in a bench swing while sipping lemonade.

Hold onto your friends, whether they're there for a season or for a lifetime. Cherish them. Honour when friendships grow and change. Know when to let go and when to hold on. I look back to all my friendships over the years, mostly with fondness, sometimes with regret. But always, always I keep that saying in my mind.