best friend...

I have a hard time with the label "best friend." I always thought people used it too loosely when I was younger. I never understood how you could have more than one best friend, but people threw it around to any of their friends.

I was catching up on some Oprah this week and she had Martha Stewart on her show to talk about life post-prison. I didn't follow the Martha trial at all. I have a tendency to trust our justice system and if they decided she was guilty I'll go along with it. It's weird to me how many people either decided she was innocent or were quick to forgive and help Martha's empire rebound so quickly. On the show, she seemed like prison was no big deal and just a place she had to stay for a little while. What I didn't know, but Oprah asked her about was her best friend of 20 years testifying against her in court.

Oprah: What was that like?

Martha: Disheartening, to say in the mildest possible terms.

Oprah: Was she always a best friend? Because I always think a best friend couldn't do that.

Martha: Well, I thought so. Best friends are sometimes not, and it's too bad.

Oprah: And [she] wrote an unflattering book.

Martha: Yeah, it's a sad thing. I did not read the book, and I have nothing to do with her and I'm sorry about that.

Oprah: You're sorry about that.

Martha: Yeah, of course. You would be. You would be horrified. Well, you can't let it be the end of your world, because people change. People are odd. People do strange things for different reasons. Sometimes you don't know the reasons. You don't know what kind of pressure they're under...

I've had people I've called best friends over the last 20ish years. I'm still friends with most of them... some closer than others but it's always been a struggle for me. I don't like losing touch with anyone, but especially not someone I considered a best friend. It has become harder as I got older to balance friends from home with this whole real world thing. I've added some good friends along the way, but unfortunately lost some too. As my wise criminal friend Martha says, "Best friends are sometimes not, and it's too bad."

To those I call friend... I'm grateful... To those I've lost... I miss you. To everyone... here's to avoiding Martha Stewart moments in court.