Friendship is something I have been thinking about a lot lately. At first I thought about friendship in a negative way. As in, why do I feel like I am one of the few women I know who does not have a best friend? Even when I was growing up, I did not have a best friend until I was in high school. For many reasons, that friendship ended long ago. At one time in my life, I thought that having a best friend was something that was absolutely necessary for someone to have a complete life. I was envious of all those women I saw who had a BFF.

I used to think if only I was more sociable - less of a loner - then I would develop that forever friendship with someone. I worked hard at it to. The results were less than desirable. It seemed like the more I tried, and the more emotionally invested I became, the more disappointed I was when that person could not live up to the extremely high expectations I had of them.

Something has dawned on me lately. If my friendship needs are being met by several wonderful women, where is it written that I have to have that best friend I coveted for so long? I realized after some personal struggles over the last few weeks that there are several women in my life who fulfill that BFF role. Each one has qualities that I admire, wisdom that they share, and a caring heart that shows in everything they do. Each one has different personalities, experiences, and quirks. Combine them all together and they make the ultimate best friend.