What are friends for?

You have heard someone say, " hey don't worry about it, what are friends for?" Well I have been thinking about that phrase lately. What are friends for? I know of acquaintances, friends with benefits etc. But I am talking about a true, no holds bar, hold your hair back after a bad night at the bar, get in the shower fully dressed to help you get over a "laced" experience, tell you look like a dork in that outfit, kind of friend. I believe you only have one or two of those kinds of friends in a life time. I have truly only had one.. This friend was like nothing I've seen. Never judged me no matter what I told her. She helped me raise my daughter for the first 2 years of her live. We lived together since we were 15 years old.
We had a bad experience about 6 years ago and I lost her. Talk about the worst kind of heart break you can imagine. I would have to rank that hurt like a divorce(even though I have never been through one, I would imagine that is what it would feel like). We honestly had to split our stuff up. Because for the last however many years hers was mine and mine was hers. So here we are at a cross roads in our lives and we choose to go in separate ways. Can you say devastated... So for 6 years we were cordial with each other if we ran into each other. Which in my heart I wanted to run up grab her around her neck and tell her how much I missed her and needed her. But of course my foolish pride said"NO" keep on walking..
I missed the birth of her first child, the passing of her grandma, and her marriage. She missed the birth of 2 more of my children, the passing of my grandpa, and of course the lil girl she helped raise is now 8. But we are too much alike and we both came to the realization that friendships like what we had are once in a lifetime.. It took 6 years, countless tears, broken hearts and sleepless nights to finally get us to the point where we are now. And let me say this out loud. "Thank you God for friends like her". Now we are back in each others lives. Sure we have missed out on a lot together but better late then never. Slowly but surely we are getting it back. I found this poem by Susan Polis Schutz and it hit me friends may come and go, but Best friends are forever...
Best friends are forever
Best friends remember all the things they did together, all the mistakes they made, all the fun they had. No matter how much their lives may change, their friendship remains the same. I know that throughout my life wherever I am, I will always remember so well and cherish our friendship as one of the best I have ever known.
So if you have had a friendship like mine and it has escaped you for awhile. It is never to late to swallow your pride say "I'm sorry", and get it back.. It takes time to mend what was broken but in the end it is worth having your Best friend back... Thanks Dee for never giving up on me and for being my Best friend... I couldn't have made it all these years without you. You have been my rock, a shoulder to cry on, and a place to be myself... Thanks...