Choose your true friends wisely.

Sriracha kitty isn't my only true friend.

I wrote about the necessity of making friends not too long ago.  We all know that friendship can fall into several different categories, with a large differentiation being between true friends and acquaintances. My previous entry was mainly addressing the latter.

True friends are hard to come by, but they tend to stay forever when you have them. Take my friend Tim, for example. Tim and I met at The University of Alabama, and we both celebrated our weirdness together and continue to do so. We love each other in that "I'll be there for you regardless of how crazy you become" kind of way.

True friends stick up for you when no one else will, and they appreciate you for who you are -- not who they want you to be. True friends respect you -- your relationships, your goals, your obligations -- and they DON'T take advantage of you. The same cannot be said of acquaintances.

True friends don't bleed you dry. Instead, they fill you up.

I have so much gratitude for those I call true friends that it can be overwhelming sometimes.