That's a very thought provoking question.  I have 1 very old friend, well not that she is old but our friendship goes way back to HS, and then I have one friend that I  met in college, so that's an old friendship too.  And my other dearest oldest friend is one I met right after college and she is actually the legal guardian of my 3 children.  These 3 friendships are nearest and dearest to my heart.  We go way back and there's something very special about friends that remember your family, your earlier years and can always reminisce and share in that special time. 

But the friends that I have made in the past few months and the friends I have made in the past few years are all friends to me. I love making connections, sharing, and just making new friends.  I totally know when I meet someone and that 'click' didn't happen and we just didn't connect.  But to me when I meet someone, whether it's through another friend, through blogging, or through whatever means, to me a friend is a friend and I call them a friend. 

I think it's also an unspoken reality that we all know what friends will be the friends that you can count on in the hard times and in the times of need.  Like if something, G-D forbid were to happen to one of the 3 friends I spoke of first, I would do what I could to get there on the East Coast to be with them.  If the same situation were true of someone I've known for only a short time and have not built that bond with, then I would certainly do what I could to help, but the outreach would be different.  Does that make sense?  Guess what I am trying to say is that to me a friend is a friend, but sometimes friends become family in the case of the 3 I spoke of earlier.  But whether it's a long time friend or someone I have just met, to me they are a frined.