Authentic Friends

Authentic friends are a rare commodity. 

You know the type. They know your deepest fears, your darkest secrets, your dreams, your passions, your goals for the future, and they are there supporting you every step of the way. Their friendship enhances your life and is a true blessing from God. They celebrate your successes, and comfort you during your struggles. They are what my mom would consider a “fox hole buddy,” someone who is there through the good and bad and has your back.

Friends in general are not hard to come by. 

Finding someone to eat food with, bar hop, see movies, and just generally spend time with isn’t a difficult task. Generally, all you need is to have something in common and you can pretty much develop a friendship.

But those relationships don’t even begin to scratch the service of a relationship with a truly authentic friend. It’s said that having a truly great friend in life is a blessing, and I know that to be true.

I feel like over the course of my life I have been blessed to know really great people and for the most part, but I can’t say that each phase of my life has blessed me with someone I could consider truly authentic. However, from each relationship I have gained a clearer understanding of what it means to have and to be an authentic friend.

And I think that is the key. In order to have an authentic friend, I think you need to be one. So I have made it my goal to make sure I am authentic, because if I can’t be, how can I expect someone else to be?