Low, Medium, and High Impact

There was an exercise program when I was growing up that showed low, medium, and high impact exercises. There were three people on a various leveled stage at the same time and you, the exerciser, would follow the person you felt you could. If you went low impact at it you probably would not work up a very big sweat. If you went high impact at it you could get a good workout. Now follow my bouncing ball here, but when I think about friends I think that there are low, medium, and high impact friends as well.

There are those friends who you call on when no one else is around (low impact) and those you call on because they are the best friends in your life (high impact). I think of low impact friends as social media only friends. Those people who friend you on Facebook and once a year you hear from them as they leave a birthday greeting on your Wall or maybe 'like' a picture of you. Medium impact friends are those that you see frequently in person and you want to invite to your birthday party; the friends you love to hang around with on a regular basis. The high impact friends are those you are certain that your life would not be the same without. These are the friends that make you want to be better, that make you a better person because you know them. (Yup, went a little Wicked at it!) These are the friends you cry with and laugh with. These are the friends who you cannot wait to text when you have news to share. They are the ones who when they hurt you hurt. They are the ones who when you hurt are so grateful that they understand and hurt with you. These are the friends who hold you when you just need to cry for no reason, these are the friends who cry with you when you have good reason. These are the friends who stay up until 3 in the morning at impromptu sleep overs and tell you stories so they can have their nose back which you stole. (Don't ask) These are the friends who come over for the award shows and know not to talk and only make fun of the actors that you all do not like. These are the friends who you do not feel an obligation to entertain when you are together and can sit for hours in silence and not feel awkward. These high impact friends are the best friends because they love you even when you do not think you deserve it.

I had a friend give me a sign once that said "A good friend is hard to find, harder to lose, and impossible to forget." I am so blessed to have high impact friends.