Friend [frend] noun 1. a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.

A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.    Elbert Hubbard 

I am not perfect, far from it actually.  I can be moody, distant, exhausting, jealous, and unapproachable.  These faults have been deal breakers in some relationships.  No matter what personality I bring to the table, Princess deals with it.

My best memory of this is obviously work-related.  It was Inventory Day and I was being neurotic about the progress of the day.  It was not obvious to the unknowing, but my body language said it all I am sure.  Princess pointed this out and threatened to leave or assault me I can't remember which if I did not snap out of it.  That's a friend who accepts you for what you are.

Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.  George Washington 

I paid my dues in bruises, sweat, and tears.  I really did.  It all started with a bruise on my thigh when we were very young and the tears they are the most recent.  There is nothing I regret and given the chance to go back I don't think I would do anything differently.  Along the way there have been a few that tried to permeate our bond like DNA crazed sperm, but in the end they did not have what it takes.  That makes me proud.

It's the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter.   Marlene Dietrich 

4 a.m. or 2 a.m. to talk about the thunder and lightning storm that woke you up after a week of fighting because you just picked up your phone and texted each other like it was second nature, because it was.

It takes a long time to grow an old friend.   John Leonard 

My estimation is that it takes approximately 27 years because I estimate our first meeting to be in the summer of 1984.  It was masterminded by her older sister and my uncle who were dating at the time.  Guess who's relationship lasted?

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.   Ralph Waldo Emerson 

This is an understatement of epic proportions.  Mispronunciations, clumsiness, awkward dances, off key singing, bad hair styles, accusations, and foolish decisions.  A true test of friendship is that after all that they still love you no different, in fact it is those things that you love the most.

The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.   Elbert Hubbard 

I am not sure I could be friends with me, but she can and has.  Through good, bad, and even worse there has been a bond that has yet to be broken.  Amazing when you think about it.

True friends stab you in the front.   Oscar Wilde 

Its been said to my face, in a text, email, letter, greeting card, and there even may have been smoke signals at one time.  Being "stabbed" is never easy, but when do the easiest things build your character?  I know what I get with Princess.  It is always right there on display, never do I have to guess even though I do.

You can always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself he doesn't feel you've done a permanent job.   Laurence J. Peter 

Macy's. Calphon. Crash. Loud Sound.  Even to this day she will still shop with me.

As I look back on this Christmas Day at the relationship I share with Princess I realize that while I have grown up with her I have also grown as a person.  She has taught me a lot about life, relationships, and commitment.  I know that the strongest bond is the one that you have built upon and that giving up is not always the answer.  Sometimes you have to back off and let each other make mistakes and be there when they need you to ease the pain.

Merry Christmas my friend, I am estimating this is the 26th Christmas with you.  Through the years there have been many gifts, but the gift of your friendship is the most valuable and will be the one I always cherish.

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