well said

"Being a friend is messy. A real friend, a true n' blue friend is there no matter what. If I expect to be a friend, I have to be ready for the messy reality of what a deep friendship entails. It means I have to be ready to see them for all that they are and love them. It means I have to be ready to challenge them with tough love, which is a hard thing to do. And I have to be ready to receive tough love, which is an even harder thing to do. It is too easy to write someone off, to give up on them - but a true friend is ready to get down in the mud, be authentic and live the struggle together."

I got this from a blog that I read (http://kevinsthirdplace.blogspot.com/)

I think it is very well said and wanted to share it with those of you who may not read his blog. (Which I recommend reading his blog on a regular basis) Being a friend is messy, it takes work and dedication. When you find people who are truly your friends you find that in all of that it is so worth it. True friendship is irreplaceable. Even if you have to work hard and some of them fail, you appreciate true friendships that much more.