A Way to Smile

Friends- they change- sometimes for the best, but not always. You need to know when to separate yourself from them in hopes that they face reality and begin to help themselves. It isn't always easy to walk away from friends, especially when they seemed to be the only one you could talk to without worrying about anything; but when it comes to one's safety, walking away is the best option. People say you should always stand by your friends when they're in rough patches. I don't think that's always true, sometimes it's best to walk away from a friendship in order for them to realize what they've lost. All you can do is watch them from afar and hope that they get their life back in order and surface back to reality.

Friends- they bring about smiles and fun times- it's never a dull moment! Currently summer vacation, unfortunately living back at home and hating it with a passion. It's the great escapes- whether it be a few hours or a few days- that make things seem more sane. Enjoying a few cigarettes late at night in the park or road tripping to concerts, it's always good to get away for a nice break. If only these fun times would come around more often. When all else fails, memories are just as nice. Reflecting back and cracking a smile just thinking about all the awkward and fairly entertaining things......helps to hold one over until the next big adventure.

What is a true friend? It seems that when my head is about to pop and my tolerance towards people is running short....my friends are never around. This frustrates me because every time they're in a bad situation and need someone to talk to, I'm ALWAYS there, no matter what time of the day or night. At times, I feel that this is my weakness. It's important that I be there when my friends need someone to talk to but they don't seem to think of it as being as important as I do- am I too good of a friend? Perhaps I need to downgrade my level of caring for my friends?.....but isn't that similar to being a bad friend? Maybe I have yet to find a true friend who will try to be there for me as much as I have been there for my "friends"? So many questions that leave me to ponder........should I even be thinking about this in as much detail as I do? It's not like I need a friend to just sit there and listen to me vent, but it would be nice to hang out with someone who has similar interests as I do and who enjoys doing crazy and outgoing things from time to time. Someone who can be spontaneous and random, but still practical and mature. While writing this, I'm pondering once again......am I looking for a friend or am I looking for something more along the lines of a relationship? Heh, these last few sentences seem like something that would go in a personal add! HA!

Friends-they don't always have to be human- and verbal communication isn't always necessary. I have four cats in my house (I'm allergic to them, but I love them none the less). I love my cats, but they are rather boring, they lay around and sleep all day. But the other night, while dog-sitting with a friend, I realized that a dog would be a perfect companion for me. We were taking care of two dogs, a little Maltese (Buddy) and a beautiful Golden Retriever(Jamesy). When I first got to the house, my friend warned me that Jamesy was the "demon dog" who is always getting in trouble. I found this hard to believe because she greeted me in a friendly way and her tail never stopped wagging. We ended up watching the dogs for about 3 days, and I spent the entire time petting, playing catch and talking to Jamesy. Yes, I was talking to a dog, I know. But it was weird, she'd look me directly in the eyes as if she were REALLY listening and understanding. Many people say that dogs are able to tell when a person needs a "lap dog" to comfort them and just be there for them. Jamesy was definitely my lap dog the entire time I was dog-sitting. If there was one thing I couild have right now, I would wish for a lap dog like Jamesy...