True Friends

During this journey with Mom, I'm sure finding out who my friends really are.
I've had friends give me turkeys for Thanksgiving when I couldn't afford one. I've had friends text me just to see how I'm doing and if my text sounds too sad, they call me. Friends will drop whatever they're doing just to let me cry on their shoulders, at all times of the day and night. On the other hand, I've seemed to drive away some people who I thought were friends and who I am now finding aren't really.
One friend in particular just astounded me with her behavior.
I was having a very difficult time on New Year's Eve. I tried watching television, catching a favorite movie, tried crocheting on a wedding gift I'm trying to get done before April, I tried everything and just couldn't shake a lonely, sad feeling.
I called one friend and we talked for quite a while. As I got off the phone, I realized I hadn't heard from a friend at Christmas, so I decided to call her. It was only 8 p.m. on New Year's Eve, and although I usually don't call people that late, I thought since most people stay up late, it would be okay to bend the rule just once.
What a big mistake, because I felt worse after talking to this person than I did before the call.
My friend answered the phone only after the answering machine picked up my call. She said she and her family were doing things and so she couldn't talk long. She asked how I was doing and I responded that I was having sad days and sadder days. She asked if I had found a job yet and I answered no, but I thought, what does she expect? She started talking about her son, and asked if she had told me that he had been the editor of his college paper. I had not heard this story and wondered why she chose this moment to tell me. She said the paper hired him as a "man on the street," whatever that means, and her son had worked his way up to editor and had to go through several interviews to get the position. I said good for him or something to that effect, still wondering why she chose to tell me at this particular time. Someone said something to her and she cut our conversation short, leaving me feeling like a real failure because I am no longer an editor of a paper, or even a writer for that matter, and because I was looking for someone to get me out of the sad feeling I was experiencing. As I hung up, I knew I would never attempt to contact her again.
I have not known this person for very long and our relationship has been a bit shaky. As Mom became more and more ill, this friend hasn't shown any sympathy or empathy. I try not to bother my friends too much with this part of my life, but sometimes I just need to talk and I really need support if I do call on friends. Most of the people I call friends understand this, but this so-called friend obviously does not.
God is so good to me, though. A couple of days later, I was surprised by a friend in Minnesota I had not talked to in years. She said she really missed me and filled our conversation with so many compliments, I left the phone call feeling wonderful. What a blessing.
It takes a lot for me to give up on a person, to not have them in my circle of friends, but I've given up on at least one friendship and there might be more down the road. Although I'm not crazy about this time in my life, God keeps teaching me very valuable lessons. Praise the Lord!