What does friendship mean to you?

Do you think that the idea of 'friendship' is a singular universal concept, or that 'friendship' can mean different things to different people? 

The older I get, the more I suspect that friendship doesn't mean the same thing to everyone, just like love doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. 

Some people think of friends as commodities to keep on hand for various seasons. They're sort of like the clothing we keep in our closets, we like what we've selected and we wear what's appropriate depending on the season and weather. 
The same is true of friends who we select for days when we want to quietly watch a movie with someone who's shy and chill or nights when we want to go out with other friends who are full of energy and always ready to do something fun. These individuals tend to have a lot of friends. 

There are other people who view friendships as something akin to romance. They fall in love with all of their friends, not in a sexual way, but in a way that engenders a deep respect and appreciation for this person they choose to invite into their life. These individuals typically have a few close friends. 

I fall into the latter category, and this is reflected in the way I write stories about friendship. They're almost like romance novels because the connections between the friends is incredibly strong. 

I used to think everyone felt this way about friendship, but now I believe that most people fall into the other category and friends are, not necessarily disposable, but the connection isn't as strong and the conversations aren't as deep, and this means it's easier to let go and move on.

But maybe that's a good thing. Maybe it's a more cautious way of testing the waters of friendship to see if someone deserves your heart, instead of simply handing it over.

The older you get, the more life gives you to think about. 

What do you think about friendship? Which category do you fall into? Or, are there other categories that I'm missing? Probably. If you feel like it, leave a comment to let me know!