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Friendship isn't always easily described. The Eskimos, they say, have a hundred different words for snow. Unfortunately, the English language isn't quite as innovative, though it has vast opportunities to differentiate meaning. Certainly, Love is one of those opportunities. And so, too, is Friendship.
Sitting here and thinking how
My life much richer is now
There was a time when no one came
No friends to play in childhood game
Yet in my inner heart I knew
Secrets rare and secrets true
Then one day I dropped my guard
I never did something so hard
By one's and two's they gathered near
Soothing all my darkest fears
For youth need never fade away
As long as I can dream and play
Instead of different words, however, we're stuck with simple adjectives. Close friend. Best friend. Childhood friend. Intimate friend. Trusted friend. Beloved friend. But whether you use adjectives or different words, few could deny the nearly infinite meaning in such a simple word.
Friends are special people. We can't pick our family, and we're sorely limited in the number of them at any rate. Society and mores (and often our own conscience) dictate we select a single mate. But our friends can be as diverse and infinite as the adjectives we choose. Our friends, in a very real sense, reflect the choices we make in life.
For all the ones I've chanced upon
And the tapestry that was spun
No one to shelter from the rain
Nor the adolescent pain
Were wishes horses, all would ride
Other dreamers by my side
In my heart I let others in
And found I had a friend
A tapestry we began to weave
And I once more believe
On wistful horses I will ride
With other dreamers at my side
