How to distinguish a true friend from everyone else

Now a days it seems to be tricky to distinguish a true friend from: who you may want to be a true friend, who looks like a true friend, who pretends to be a true friend, who wants to be a true friend but you're not letting in, who could be a true friend but you are both too busy, etc.
In grade school and high school it's easy (for most) to have a solid group of friends and for many, those friends are the ones you keep for life. However for others, including me, losing touch with friends becomes part of growing up. I had a great, solid group of girlfriends in grade school. They all went on to the same high school, and I went to a different one (due to district and family budget) and we lost touch. They are all still very close, from what I can tell via facebook and the grapevine, all but me that is! 
I do not feel regretful about this. I was always and eager to meet and be with many different types of people and had I went on to the same high school with the same old group of girls I wouldn't have had my horizon expanded as it was in high school. During the high school years I made all new friends, ones my family did not approve of for the most part. We were wild, always pushing the limit, questioning authority in every way imaginable and doing many crazy things (if you can think of it we probably did it). But I had a blast then and learned a lot. A whole lot.That was the most free I ever felt actually.
When I went on to college the same thing happened- I made new friends. I distanced myself from my wild, crazy, fun high school friends (love them so much) to stay out of trouble because, believe me, I did go off the deep end for a while. I needed to get out of that 'scene' if you know what I mean. I immersed myself into the Latin culture, with a tight group of Cubanas with whom I worked at an upscale hotel while in college. These girls were there for me and also a lot of fun, in a different way of course. They loved me but thought I was a little crazy- la gringa loca! I loved them too; the three of them were married and totally engaged in house wife roles which fascinated me but I couldn't really relate to at that time. ...And time passed.
Since I moved to Miami friends have come and gone at an even quicker pace, they last a few months rather than a few years; this is a transient city and people are always moving on and out. It can be sad. It can be refreshing. It all depends on how you look at it.
When you're in a relationship it makes it even trickier to make new friends. Suddenly you can't relate as much to the 'single friend lingo.' Discussing intimacies as we all do so freely amongst friends when single becomes a bit taboo when you're in a serious relationship- do I really want to discuss the way my man -----. No I don't. It's private. It's funny- before I couldn't relate to my friends who were all married, now I have a harder time relating to friends who are single. Life is a circle, in every way.
-True friends will always be true friends, but that doesn't mean you will always be able to relate to them on every level, or on any level for that matter. And that's o.k.
I'm grateful for all the friends I've had, have and will continue to have.
Ending on this note: a true friend will help you move, will never tell your secrets (ever) and will not intentionally hurt you.
Accept any quality friend that comes into your life with open arms, whether he or she be 8 or 80. You can learn a lot from people that are different from you, don't always expect your friends to be just like you ;)
Blah, blah, blah....
Related Affirmation: I am attracting quality friends into my life. Nice, fun, honest, pure people are drawn to me as if I were a magnet. I shine like the sun, warming my friends around me, near and far. 

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