This morning I saw a post on BlogHer called "I've Never Had a Best Friend" by all.things.fadra. She wrote:

I used to get offended when I would meet people, especially people I really liked, and they would tell me about their “best friend back in Michigan” or the woman they’ve been friends with since the second grade.

I took it to mean: Hi. Nice to meet you. We can be friends but not that good of friends because that position has already been filled. And perhaps I stayed guarded in the friendship.

And I felt a pang, because I refer to my best friend in conversation as my best friend to people who don't know her and never mean to insinuate there's no more room in my heart for besties. 

In my case, I have a friend I've known since I was three years old. We've only not lived in the same metro area for two years of that 35-year period of time. When you know someone that long through so many phases of life, it's hard to compare it to any other friendship.

However.

It never occurred to me that my referring to her that way might drive away potential new friends. I've been blessed in my life to have had many friends who were the most active in my life at that moment and for whom I would go to great lengths to see or help. Some people -- whom I enjoy immensely -- I see in real life barely at all. Life at this juncture is so busy with the earning of money and the improving of still-clunky houses and the raising of children that it's a wonder I see anyone who doesn't live in my house or neighborhood ever. There are plenty of times when I'm free but they aren't or vice versa or it's just so dang hard to get off the ever-loving couch at the end of the day.

But every time I meet someone new, I look at them closely to see if we will be friends. I adore making new friends, new close friends, because friends are like your children -- your heart can make enough love for all of them, don't you think? You may not have enough time to see all of them every day or even every year, but your heart ... it doesn't get full. 

At least I don't feel that way.