Lean on Me

The other day i heard the classic 'everyone knows this' song 'Lean on me'. I have heard this song millions of times sung in different forms and from different age groups. It was the other day that i began to appreciate the song. Its about friendship and its only when you have to lean on someone that you actually get the point. It was only about 6 years ago that i started to understand the concept of the true meaning of the word 'friend.' An incident brought this clarity to me, long and short of it a friend of ours was publically behaving badly. After said event we were sitting and discussing it (not in her presence), we were disappointed and other people were passing their judgments on her. Someone said 'well lets find out whats up with her' and they picked up the phone and called her over. Pause the world for a second......... i had never met or been in such a situation. I said to myself 'these girls right here are real people, to be called friends. This is friendship, this feels so right and safe.'
I then started to be very particular with my use of the word friend and acquaintance. At 16 a friend is a person you hang around, talk for hours on the phone with etc etc, basically anyone that gels with your personality. But its only with age that you realise this doesnt make them a friend rather a person you are acquainted with.

'When days are dark friends are few'
I can now after seeing such days dispute this claim, when days are dark, friends are your light. If they were friends they would be there.To quote Junior Gong ' your real friends will serve you long, sunshine or rain.' It is in these 'dark days' that you see the true character of the chosen few you call friends. Their reaction could be as simple as a daily hug, no words or as heartwarming as lending you their prized cd with a song you must hear. Possibly its just coming to your house to keep you company and not mentioning your misery or just saying go eat!
I cant ever forget the friend who said 'we noticed that there's something off about you and we are worried." You see there's that extra step between noticing and taking action, it shows a true heart of love for you as opposed to ' i wonder what her issue is'.
Now back to the song 'Lean on me'... 'when you're not strong and i'll be your friend, i'll help you carry on.' I get it, when you just feel like you cant go it alone, they appear because they know you need them and without a complaint you can put your weight on them. And they will bear it until you can stand. And when you stand a real friend will talk to you seriously and show you how not to trip like that again.
To my friends you know who you are cuz i tell you all the time how much I love you. "You can lean on me..."
Lean on Me by the cast of Glee