Sincerity

What ever happened to genuine friendships?  I know women are catty, but is it still possible for us to maintain lasting relationships? Growing up, my best friend was my confidant, she was the person I could trust to always tell me the truth.  She'd stick up for me when others wouldn't. She gave me confidence and I never questioned whether or not she'd be there for me during hard times. I never had to, she was ALWAYS there. Even now, I have two of the most amazing best friends!  They know me well, understand all that I've gone through, and they even have insight on the the things in my life that are yet to come.  They are ALWAYS there when I need them, but it's unfortunate that they live four hours away.

Most of my female friends here, aren't even friends.  Sure we'll talk about the shallow stuff, but I'm leary about opening up to them, because they've not proven themselves to be true. The ones I have opened up to, thinking they would be in it for the long haul, have proven me wrong.  Which, of course, only leads to regret. I'm a genuine person, a real lover, and I go the extra mile for the people I call friends.  The problem is, not all of these people do the same for me. So, I recently decided that I will no longer put up with flaky people and/or one-sided friendships. 

 I understand that people are busy, they have families, careers, school, all of the above.  I get that, I'm a busy person too, but we make time for the people who are important to us, right?  If I'm ALWAYS calling you to see how you're doing, always suggesting that we hang out, always making the plans, always driving us wherever, then I'm basically maintaining a friendship by myself and YOU are just along for the ride. No relationship, friendship or otherwise, should be one-sided.

I'm a giver too, people come to me expecting, almost KNOWING I'll give.  So, I'm not foreign to being used.  People do it and think they're getting over on me, but most times I help because I care.  I help because I can and it won't hurt me to do so. I always stop and think, what if that were me? So I give from the heart.  Often times, I even go without, because I would want someone else to do the same for me, if I were in their shoes. My kindness, however, shouldn't be likened to stupidity.  Friends, true friends, should be willing to inconvenience themselves for you every now and again.

I took a step back, a few months ago and started observing my "friends" here, needless to say, I've been weeding them out ever since.  There is no longer room in my life for unnecessary people. If you take drastically more than you're willing to give, you're gone. If you lie to me, for your own personal gain, you're gone. If you are always there when YOU need and never when I do, you're gone. All, I'm asking for, is a little sincerity.  I need a more genuine people in my life.  People who REALLY care about me, who'll be there when I need them and won't flake. I have realistic expectations and I'm asking for this, because I KNOW that I can give it.