Sometimes it seems like friends change as soon as the seasons change. You can look back on your life and realize how many people you thought for certain were "best friends" to you, but now you don't even talk to each other. In this fast-pace life many of us have, it can be hard to take the time and develop a real, meaningful friendship that lasts forever. Where we are seems to be where are friends are; at our workplaces, in our classes, on our sports teams. But when we leave those things, we leave the friends as well. These type of short lived friendships can leave us empty, because all we have left are the memories of what used to be. It is so easy to get caught up in the continuous loop of friendship making and breaking. This is why I am so thankful to have the blessing of a lifelong friend.

A lifelong friend is someone you've known for as long as you can remember, and you can't imagine continuing life's journey without them. You have been friends through every moment, every new beginning, every difficult circumstance.

A lifelong friend has seen you at your worst, but chooses to love you regardless. They accept your flaws, and know that they make you who you are.

They know how to handle situations in your life better than you do, so you will always call them up in a predicament. When everything is going wrong, you crave their conversation because their advice is the most comforting thing to hear.

A lifelong friend is someone you could go for weeks without talking to, but as soon as you see each other you can pick up like nothing ever happened. They can almost sense what has happened in your life since the last time you talked.

They want to know every detail of every moment of your day, it actually interests them. They pay attention when you speak, instead of falsely pretending to be in the moment while really catching up on social media.

A lifelong friend is someone who you want to be a part of every big moment in your life, because it's their moment too. You wouldn't have made it so far in life if it wasn't for their encouraging words and support when no one else was there to listen. They have helped to make you who you are.

These lifelong friendships are hard to come by. They are closer than family and worth more than your lifetime salary. A lifelong friendship is so important because it is deeper and much more fulfilling than all of those acquaintanceships we accumulate over time. There is nothing in the world I would trade for my lifelong friend.

Proverbs 18:24 - Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)