I grew up in a small town
So friends seemed like they would last forever
And as I think back at those friendships
I realized that they weren't always fun and games
Sometimes they included talking to a friend
After his drunk father beat him
Sometimes it was hugging them as they cry
Sometimes it was just to give them a place
To bitch, moan and share about their day

Sometimes it meant wrestling around in the park grass
Or trying to explain how the shoe got lost in the creek
It was plotting of ways to sleep over in the summer
and it was about talking about what the future might be

Sometimes it's knowing when to leave them alone
and knowing when they need a kick in the rear
but still it was friendship.

Over the years the definition,
At least I think hasn't changed that much
With a friend I should be able to share
Some terribly awful moment
And not worry about them running away
Because they would share something with me

There was always something planned
Something fun to do
Even if it was sitting round
Asking those questions
"Whaddya wanna do?"
"I dunno, what do you want to do?"
"Wrassle!!!"

But that's a different story altogether
There wasn't a problem with putting
my arm around a friend and giving them a hug
There wasn't never a problem of just dropping in
to just say "Hello"
Or eat dinner, or lunch,
or drag them out of the house

It was okay
to buy them lunch when you have the money
And never argue about the check
when they say, "I'll get that."

I don't keep track of all the things
that were done as favors
because I wanted to do them
even in those situations
that were most uncomfortable
holding a friends hand
while a surgeon lasers his eyes
or letting him break your hand
while they work on him in an emergency room
or having to carry them to the bathroom
and cool them down because their temperature is too high

Different things with different friends
but I find that in most cases
distance was the major reason
most friends seem to disappear into the past
but when I run into them today
we can smile at each other
and catch up
and then return to what we were doing
or walk a while along the same path

But as friends, without much trouble

I never have feared a friend
for some reason I trust them
and probably will continue to do so
even though lately
it seems that people have forgotten
that a friend
is someone who needs a little time
just to sit back and talk
to go for a walk
and maybe go out and eat

Oh some friends are just quickies
that turn out to be wonderful people
some are just people you happen across
on your daily course that stick around

But I find that friendship is something dear to me
I try not to ask much of my friends
just to be there as a friend
in the best way that they can
and treat me with the honesty
that I will treat them

Because only a friend
can tell me something that I don't want to know
and I will stop to think
take a moment to remember
that they are my friend
and they are only telling me this
because they care

It's only those friends
that refrain from telling me the truth
that I find are false
which really make me sad
because all I wanted was the truth
because I need true input
for me to become a better person
and my friends are many times
very much responsible for that.

They have taught me to say. "Thank You"
They have taught me to say, "You're Welcome"
They have taught me to tip
They have taught me not to be so hard on myself
but most of all
They have taught me
How I can be
A better friend to them.

Even if they do have to spank me
once in a while to keep me in line