Thoughts on Friendship

Friendships are such complex things. You're there for each other through the good times, and if it's a true friendship, through the bad times as well. You take turns being the encourager, the defender, the shoulder to cry on, the sounding board, and sometimes even the martyr. You give and take (one more so than the other, in some cases).
I'm amazed at times by the many storms that some friendships go through, yet they still remain intact, and at times, the friends are closer than ever afterwards. That isn't always the case, of course; I can think of times over the years where friendships have been tested and were never quite the same afterwards. Part of it can be blamed to circumstances, yes; part of it, too, I believe, can also be attributed to how committed the friends are to staying close. It's a two-way street, though- if only one truly has their heart in it, you can't expect for the friendship to grow- or to stay afloat.
Sometimes you just have to let a friendship go, for whatever reason.
There are those friendships, however, that you cling to, regardless of what has gone on. You refuse to allow the storms to marr the friendship- and if something has happened to damage the friendship, you make the effort to fix it, or at least to keep the friendship going. At times I consider this one of the strongest friendships you can have, because no matter what happens, you seem to hang on; at times, however, I find them one of the craziest relationships to be involved in, because it can take so much out of you to keep it all going. I guess it all boils down to how much the friendship is really worth to you...
Most [close] friendships I've had over the years have been worth the fight to me, and I constantly count them as one of the many blessings that God has given me. Many days, I don't know what I'd do without them...