Friendship

Having at least one true friend in life is very important for people. It is fabulous to have a bunch of great friends, but it is very important to have at least one. One good friend can make everything turn around in a person’s life. They are the ones who get people through the tough years of school. They sit by each other on the school bus or in the cafeteria at lunch. They are the ones who confide their secrets and trust the other person will not gossip behind their back. They are the teammates who share the thrill of the game and the camaraderie that their friendship brings.

A friend can make all the difference in the world. They can save someone from suicide.

They can help someone when they are hospitalized to bring up their morale or care for their children. They know just what to say to make a situation just a little bit more bearable. They know just what to say to make their friend smile. Their timing is often impeccable.

A friend is precious in this thing we call life. Their worth is beyond comparison. They may never truly know the value they bring into a person’s life, but the person will know. The person will miss them dearly if they die. The person will know an emptiness in their life that was the spot they held for that friend. Not some other random person, but that friend. That friend who had a name and a beautiful soul.

Friendship is so precious that it has even inspired some brilliant songs. It is something that most people seek. Most people want to call at least one person on this planet their friend. That one other person on this planet who truly likes them for them and did not seek to use or abuse them. That one person on this planet values their time and their trust. That one person on this planet who wants to share their life with them through everything that may come their way. Through the joys and the pain. Through the tears and the smiles. Through the jobs, the moves, and all of the changes that come about in the course of a lifetime. Through the normal and the bizarre. Through the predictable and the unexpected changes in the course of a lifetime.

That is a friend.

That one other person on this planet smiles when they mention their name or shares stories of their antics. That one other person on this planet has pictures of them on that trip or at that graduation. Holding up that camera or phone and giving the corniest smile that they can muster. Simply enjoying that moment and their company.

That is what friendship is all about. Not what you can get out of the other person, but what value you can bring to their life and your friendship. The wisdom that you can share. The empathy that flows naturally for them. The love that many times will last for the rest of your life. That is friendship. It is beautiful, and it is oh so real.