Friends- Chosen or Given?

Today I met 2 of my closest friends.

It was nice meeting them after a long while, did the usual catching up. It was at that very moment one of them said " Eh you might not see me very often after today". Though on the surface he meant he was busy and that we'd probably meet less in the days to come, a part of me felt something else and I looked deeper.

After hearing that, I thought to myself, what if I were to lose my friend to something tragic? That was when I started thinking, how do friends appear? Do you choose them? Are they god given and you were meant to meet them? Can you lose a friend?

Often we take friendships for granted, not taking into consideration the small and minor things that do matter. A simple text and the quickness of the reply, if it ever comes that is. Holding the door for a friend, saying a quick "hi", these are the small acts that could be the backbone to a friendship. Sure, anyone could say to a friend "I'll be there when you need me." More often than not, you take for granted this simple line. This simple line could mean so much to the person who said it. Yet to the person who receives this special line, the oh-so-special line could just be "just another line"

Who then are your true friends? Who then will "qualify" as your best friend? How would you even know for the slightest bit that this person actually is your "best friend"? How do you distinguish the line between best friends and lovers?

These questions probably go through everyone's mind every single day, I know it goes through mine. The funny thing is, no one will ever admit to having these thoughts. The question I often wonder is "how do you know this person is your bestfriend?"

After sleepless nights thinking about this, I am still without an answer. At this very moment in time, I have this really good friend, you could say she's like a sister or a "best friend". She means a hell lot to me. Yet the thought of her being the "one" for me constantly crosses my mind. How then do we distinguish between the two? This girl is special, more than you could ever imagine. The countless times I've said that to her really isn't enough to truly show how amazing she is.

She is my friend. She is my best friend. She is the one?

The funny thing is, this person could mean so much to you. Yet to her, you're "just another friend". Friendship is complicated that way. Friends are complicated that way. Like lovers, quarrels and disagreements often happen between friends. In the case of friendship, it is often because one friend cares too much or doesn't care enough. The term "best friends" is funny, for 3 simple words can cause a "best friend" to become a stranger. I love you. 3 simple words.

The truth is, I don't know if I have fallen for this special girl. However, I do know that she's a friend to me. She means the world to me. She's special and I would never do anything to jeopardise that. Knowing I could lose her is more important than 3 simple words.

So..... Friends- Chosen or Given?