A Thought or Two

 When I was about six years old, a kid had walked into the house my parents had just bought. We were chipping pain off the old wall, layers of it; literally. Him and this one kid had come through, asking if we were moving in, and if we would be staying long. He was tall, very tall, which was astonishing for someone so young, but his voice didn't resonate this height. The admittance came to the fact we were and within seconds I was asked to be his friend.

 After he had asked me to be his friend, it took time for us to really bond; he liked sports and I liked computers as well as video games. It took months for us to really kick it off and by the time we did we were beginning the second great. For all intents and purposes. This same kid became someone I grew close to and learned a lot of things from. Little did I know he had a rough lift, that his parents had split, that his sister lived with their mother and he his father. This kid who walked through my door became an idol of sorts, an inspiration, a person I felt comfortable to be around.

 Years passed in our friendship, our bond at times grew weaker, others it grew stronger, but one thing remained; he became my brother. As the years passed our silence began to grow between us, the times we hung out slim, and our common interests very different. By the time we were in our early twenties he had gone off to the military. He had decided this was something he wanted to do with his life, something that would ultimately lead to his dream career, and in time he began to accomplish it. The pride I felt in knowing he made it had began to swell in my chest as the years had passed, but as things got worse in Iraq; so did my concern for his life and his career.

 A few short years later he had returned home, former military due to an injury resulting in loss of feeling in his hands and or feet due to his spine. It was because of this he had finally gone to college, got his degree, and eventually sought a life as a form of law enforcement. Now? He is still there, but so is our bond as friends.

 After having reflecting on this, I've begun to wonder what truly defines a true friendship. Is it our capability to truly define that bond no matter how hard things get? This is something that I have wondered as he and I have struggled in our lives, had our fights, dismissed our friendships, but never did we walk away from them no matter how mad we got. It is moments like these that make me wonder; are the values of true friendships long gone that to the point people can't dismiss ones own thoughts, anger issues, and or struggles? Think on this as the answer is not as simple as it may seem.