Friends. They are amazing, aren't they? I mean, what better gift could life give you? And how we all wish we still had some friends we met at various points in our lives with us today.

Remember the awesome childhood friends forever by our side?

Boy! That takes me way back.

And then we grew up. And then we grew apart. Not overnight, but it feels like the world changed in the blink of an eye.

Before you knew it, you had adult things to worry about. The dreams we shared were pushed aside.

But some of us hit the friendship lottery and end up with people who are as crazy as the most memorable friends we ever met.

Friendships start innocently enough.

You meet a total stranger. You have no clue how important this person will be in your life. But after a while, you understand that this person will be a significant part of your story.

Once in a while, you meet a real gem.

A selfless friend who cares for you in every way. A friend who wants nothing but to make you happy. This friend will give you everything.

Then there are those unforgettable funny friends. You know them because you giggle as soon as you see them. They say laughing adds days to your life. These friends certainly added lots of happy days to your life.

Think of the bond that existed between you and such friends. There's nothing like it, is there?

You never had to pretend. You could be yourself.

But we have all had run-ins with bad friends. The sort who want to gain more from you than you can gain from them.

Let's call them the takers. Because they always need more. You still loved them though, and hopefully, they learned something about friendship from you.

Then we have the "anytime, anywhere" sort of friends. You can literally invite them to an adventure as you are packing and they will have their bags in the car before you do.

When you need someone in the middle of the night, you can count on them. These friends may wander to the ends of the world, but they will always be in our hearts.

You will always be thankful for these. Always.

Then there are the quiet friends. When they speak, they can bring a lot of meaningful insight into your life.

Some friends disappear, never to be seen again, although you hope that you will see them again one day.

Other friends become family. You pick them yourself, and you get along with them better than you do with most of your biological relatives.

You hold on to these because you can't hope to do any better.

Luckily, you have met all these kinds of people and they changed your world for the better. From each of them, you learned something about yourself and the world. You realized that life is beautiful, and it is filled with dreams, hopes, adventure, enthusiasm, and humanity.

You had fun, you were happy, and you were so full of hope.

Time and space may have put a distance between us and these beautiful souls. But in our hearts, they live on. Love cemented our bonds, and when we meet again, the good times will start rolling again. Yes, without effort or pretensions, we'll pick off right where we left off.