Its A Beautiful Life: When Friendships Blossom

Have you ever wondered what word can be used to define a relationship that has grown beyond the boundaries of a friendship? Does it feel weird that you would ALWAYS count on that one person or group of people regardless of the curve balls life throws at you?
One thing I absolutely admire about the Marine Corps is its brotherhood. The Bible speaks about the greatest action of love being shown by laying our life down for our brother/friend. It amazes me to know that most people who commit to the military do so with the understanding they are laying their lives down for the citizens of this country, and each other. My husband always talks about not being afraid to take a bullet for a brother (another Marine). But would we, the civilians, do that for a friend?

I can honestly say growing up I took pride in friends that are not to be found in my life today. Granted we all went our own ways after high school, there really wasn't any strong foundations in our friendship that held us together as time and distance kept us away. Today, I have more solid relationships in my life. Friends that keep it real, and are "smack to the back of the head" honest with me when needed. I would do anything and everything I can to be there for them, as they would for me. Yet from time to time I wonder if I would take a bullet for them (lay my life down for them).

By my definition, when "friendship" blossom...it becomes "family". My husband and I learned the hard way that "family" is not just reserved for blood relations. And the perfect example of that in our life today is my husband's friend and fellow Marine whom he affectionately calls "big Brother". I call him "baldy" or "Pooh Bear" to annoy him, but that is beside the point here. For the purpose of this blog, I'm going to refer to him as Pooh Bear.

The best way to describe Pooh Bear is this - he is the nicer and more patient version of my husband. The Marine Corps is their very existence and their purpose in life. They are both super motivated, extremely dedicated Marines who will, without a doubt, take a bullet for each other at war, and off the field. Their brotherhood is like none I have seen before. In their silence they hear and understand each others deepest pains and craziest thoughts. Pooh Bear became more than just another Marine during one of their deployments together. And since then, he's become more than just a friend...and now our brother. He's family.

Pooh has proven to my husband that with one phone call he would open up his home for my husband and his sister. He helps me understand where my husband is coming from by explaining the marine mindset about certain things/situations in life. Just the past year of being married, Pooh Bear has driven 10 - 14hours to spend a few days with us at least four or five times already. That's more than our own relatives have done for us. The friendship my husband and Pooh have has kept them both strong, and sane both in Iraq and on the home front. The friendship him and I have has helped me appreciate my role as a Marine Wife, and be prepared for the unexpected bumps and turns in our journey.

My husband and I know we can count on our Pooh Bear any day for anything. And we would drop our packs in a heart beat for him as well. He's one of the few in my life that I, as a civilian, would consider taking a bullet for me because no matter what, he'll always be our big brother.

I probably have digressed a little here, but here's the question I have for you. What would you call a relationship that has blossomed beyond the limits of a friendship? And would you have to think twice about laying down your life for a friend or would it be for "family"?

Mrs. Sgt. P.