Friendship and Quality of Life

Over the past few months I have gone up and down, back and forth with a few individuals and our concept of friendship.
Expectations.
Loyalty.
Derivations of Concept.
I have come to the realization that I have expectations which are not acknowledged nor matched on any level. I have spent the past twenty years accepting the fact that near or far, the friends I have made in my 20's are basically the lifelong friends I will have until I die.
We grew up together in some form or another. We experimented together. We had our hearts broken together. We learned loyalty together. I don't and would never speak ill about any of them behind their back. I don't judge them. If I had a conflict of opinion about their lifestyle that didn't directly affect my life, I would keep it to myself. If I had a conflict of opinion which did in fact directly affect or impact me in some way, I would approach them and discuss it. That's how I was brought up. Men talk over whiskey and shake hands when they agree, or agree to disagree. Women don't stab each other in the back with their petty gossip and rumors, in an attempt to hold themselves in higher regard. That's just not how friends treat one another. That's how I was raised. That's how I am raising my children.
If you don't respect someone - don't call them your friend. Don't socialize with them. Don't disrespect them, but live your life and respect and let them live theirs. My Nana once told me - there is enough love for everyone.
I realized I had to challenge myself recently - challenge my Christianity and the Golden Rule, when I wanted to call someone out - to make them feel the way they made me feel with similar judgments and gossip. But, I didn't. I held my tongue. I didn't send the email that was burning a hole in my laptop, because I realized the path of destruction and hurt it would cause. And it simply wasn't worth it. I would rather lose "a friend" than cause a domino effect of unnecessary drama to prove a point and "be right".
Fuck it. I'm old I can be right in my own head. I can't afford to lose a friend, but then again, anyone who would toss me aside as a friend because of their own hypocrisy, wasn't really my friend to begin with.
I am glad I have solid friendships to compare... so, I know right from wrong. Everyone is not that lucky.