Friends...

Sometimes life throws us all curveballs, and we have to sit down and think it through. When you let emotion dictate action, you're bound to throw a very bad ball. But when you let logic help you through those tough situations, you at least come up with something workable and not so potentially harmful. I'll never forget some of those bad balls I've thrown... and we shouldn't. It's them bad balls that helps us logically see through the next big problem. As much as I once wished I could erase relationships, decisions, and sometimes whole situations, I realized - sometimes years later - that they all happened for a reason.
But that's also why we have friends. Friends help us think through situations. True friends aren't afraid to tell you "shut up, listen, and think about it" when we really need to be sat down so we listen fully. I once had a friend in school who had to do that to me after one of my cousin's girlfriends got caught lying to the entire family (she was supposedly in danger from a former boyfriend which turned out to be a big fat lie). Well of course in my youth, I was ready to kick some @**! Well, I didn't bother to realize that little skinny me would've been nothing more than a comedy act to this woman. But, my best friend sat me down (literally, he nudged me into my seat!) and reminded me that 1 - I'm a skinny KID compared to this person, 2 - it wasn't directly affecting me and therefore not really any of my business, and 3 - the best vengeance sometimes is a lack of reaction. It was really hard for me to not go off, but thanks to my friend, I realized that I had to stay calm, not just for me, but for my Mom who was just as hot-tempered - if not more - than me.
The whole point is, are we going to be that friend that isn't afraid to tell someone to STFU or are we just going to suggest something and walk away? Walter's right, friends deserve more than just a comment than back to normal. Sometimes we have to prepare them for the cold hard truth. Sometimes we have to give the advice then stay and help them apply it, or advise on how to proceed. True friends don't come and go, they come and stay through good and bad times. They understand life is rough sometimes. True friends are truly forever.