What Does it Really Cost?

I was initially going to title this blog entry "The Best Things in Life are Free."  I thought about that title and what I wanted to say.  I discovered the two contradicted each other so I made a change.  What does it really cost?  I've been thinking about this all day because I wanted to come up with a cost for friendship and love.  You can't buy friends or love.  I don't care what anyone says.  You can invest money into the idea of someone being your friend.  You can buy things in an attempt to make someone love you.  You cannot buy friendship or love.  In order to be a true friend, you have to let down your defenses.  You have to let someone into your life intimately.  The same concept holds true for love.  In order for someone to love you, you have to give that person a part of your heart and your soul.  Once you make that decision, there is no going back.  That part of you belongs to them forever.  So going back to my initial question.  What does it really cost to be a true friend or to love someone?  It costs you to lose a part of yourself so you can become one with someone else.