True Friends.

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"Friendship... is not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything." ~ Muhammad Ali.

America and the world has embraced new technologies which surround us daily with instant connections. Literally hundreds of thousands of names can become, fans, followers, connections and ...friends.

We now have opportunities to "friend" multitudes and interact with people locally and globally at a moments notice. Opportunities are good - what we do with them is what defines us as human beings.

A long time ago my daughter asked me, innocently and without the dark shadows of experience, one of those questions that fathers remember forever "Daddy how many true friends do we have in life?"

I thought and responded - "I suppose that is determined by your definition of a true friend." As we add thousands upon thousands of connections the opportunity to find more true friends increases, that's a very good thing. With all of these opportunities - How many are true friends? "I suppose that's determined by your definition of a true friend.

Hopefully all of us have a few very special, true, friends. I have a handful. One is an old special forces soldier who dug a chunk of hot metal out of my hip many years ago in a land far away. One is an old gunny who goes fishing, shares a steak and puts up with a guy who talks more than he listens. One is a respected leader of industry who taught me about sales and business. One is my Dog. And one is my daughter who makes me proud. A wise man once said if you have five true friends in your life you have been blessed. ~ I believe him.

True friends do what most friends don't or won't. They show up when others leave. They are selfless, loyal and dependable at the worst times. They are rare and true. No matter how many friends we have. No matter how many connections we make. No matter how many follow and like us. It is the tested ones, the ones that remain true during and after conflict that matter. True friends are not found in comfort - they reveal themselves through challenge. We will all have many friends in our lives but true friends are really hard to come by

And well ~ They should be.