There is a difference between being an acquaintance and being a friend.
First, an acquaintance is someone whose name you know, who you see every now
and then, who you probably have something in common with and who you feel
comfortable around.  It's a person that you can invite to your home and share
things with.  But they are people who you wouldn't share your life with, whose
actions sometimes you don't understand because you don't know enough about
them...

On the other hand, a friend is someone you love.  Not that you are "in love"
with them, but you care about them and you think about them when they are not
there.  The people you are reminded of when you see something they might like,
and you know this because you know them so well.  They are the people whose
pictures you have and whose faces are in your head regardless.  They are the
people you see in your mind when you hear a song on the radio because they
made you go up to the person they like and ask them to dance with them, or
maybe YOU danced
with them, maybe they stepped on your toes, or just put their head on your
shoulder. They are the people you feel safe around because you know they care
about you.  They call just to see how you are doing, because a friend doesn't
need an excuse.  They tell you the truth, the first time, and you do the
same.  You know that if you have a problem, they are there to listen.  They
are the people who won't laugh at you or hurt you, and if they do hurt you
they try hard to make it up to you.  They are the people you love, regardless
of whether you realize it.  They are the people you cried with when you got
rejected from colleges and during
the last song at prom and at graduation.  They are the people that when you
hug them, you don't think about how long to hug and who's going to be the
first one to let go.  Maybe they are the people that hold the rings at your
wedding, or maybe they are the people that give you away at your wedding, or
maybe they are the people you marry.

They are certainly the people that cry at your wedding because they are happy
or because they are proud or because they are so in love. They are the people
who stop you from making mistakes and help you when you do.  They are the
people whose hand you can hold, or you can hug or give them a kiss and not
have it be awkward because they understand the things you do and they love you
for them.  They stick with you and stand by you.  They hold your hand.  They
watch you live and you watch them live and you learn from them.  Your life is
not the same without them.

These are your friends.  How many do you have?  This is not a chain letter,
this is from the heart.

Send it to the people who are your friends, who used to be your friends, who
need friends or just people who need something to make them realize that they
have friends.