True Friendship.

True Friendship

How can we find true friendship in this often phony, temporary world? Friendship involves recognition or familiarity with another's personality. Friends often share likes and dislikes, interests, pursuits, and passion.

How can we recognize potential friendship? Signs include a mutual desire for companionship and perhaps a common bond of some kind. Beyond that, genuine friendship involves a shared sense of caring and concern, a desire to see one another grow and develop, and a hope for each other to succeed in all aspects of life. True friendship involves action: doing something for someone else while expecting nothing in return; sharing thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or negative criticism.

True Friendship - Relationship, Trust, Accountability

True friendship involves relationship. Those mutual attributes we mentioned above become the foundation in which recognition transpires into relationship. Many people say, \"Oh, he's a good friend of mine,\" yet they never take time to spend time with that \"good friend.\" Friendship takes time: time to get to know each other, time to build shared memories, time to invest in each other's growth.

Trust is essential to true friendship. We all need someone with whom we can share our lives, thoughts, feelings, and frustrations. We need to be able to share our deepest secrets with someone, without worrying that those secrets will end up on the Internet the next day! Failing to be trustworthy with those intimate secrets can destroy a friendship in a hurry. Faithfulness and loyalty are key to true friendship. Without them, we often feel betrayed, left out, and lonely. In true friendship, there is no backbiting, no negative thoughts, no turning away.

True friendship requires certain accountability factors. Real friends encourage one another and forgive one another where there has been an offense. Genuine friendship supports during times of struggle. Friends are dependable. In true friendship, unconditional love develops. We love our friends no matter what and we always want the best for our friends.

True friendship should be placed on the Endangered Species list in this day we live in. There are millions of people out there, running around, claiming friendship. More than half of those relationships, are mere associations, nothing more. Things like MySpace, have distorted the word also, how many times have you gone to that site, or one like it, and seen people who have something in the neighborhood of 200+ friends on their \"Friends\" List?

I'm not sure about others, but, my friends, my true, and actual friends, number somewhere around, oh say......2, my ex, her husband and my \"Brother\" Jon(not from this site). Friends I had growing up, are now just associations, I have not spoken to them in several years, and they have their own to take care of. Doesn't mean that I haven't tried getting in touch with them, I have, they haven't returned calls, or answered the phone, they are no longer friends, not like they used to be.

To me, my friends, are my family, blood relation does not count with me in this instance. Were something to happen to my friends, I would be consumed by emotions so \"Dark\", that other Jedi would probably steer clear of me for a bit, but, that's just me, I look out for my friends as I do myself/family, they are the most important thing in the world to me, other then my kids.

Personal thoughts, do with take them as you will.

True friendship is in my experience like a precious jewel. Something far and few between. But once found, it makes a world of difference. I like to think of it like the sun and moon; the love of a friend helps me to shine even in the darkest of nights. It is alike an oasis where I can celebrate myself in a desert of masqerades.

What a wonderful picture! Friendship has also its hard sides though. Just as I can be myself, I also have to be prepared to hear who I really am. A friend is a mirror reflects without distortion the true me. Sometimes that can be painful. It means that someone elses suffering becomes my own. I open myself up and become vulnerable.

Unfortunately the word friend like Love has been watered down to a routine commitment. \"Lets make love!\", \"How many friends do you have?\", \"Lets be friends!\"....

\"To lose a friend is the greatest of all evils, but endeavour rather to rejoice that you possessed him than to mourn his loss.\"

Seneca.

Easier said than done, Seneca.

To make a long story short, I was beginning to form a very close friendship with a woman and things between us were going very well until I hurt her deeply and she decided she didn't want anything else to do with me. I miss her and still feel guilt about the way I treated her .

\"Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.\"

I believe Shakespeare said something to that effect. And I have to believe it or otherwise it just hurts too much to think about my niece and nephew no longer with us. (That and that indeed they are in a better place.)

That's a beautiful idea. I can see how having someone special in our lives for a limited amount of time, even though losing them hurts, sure beats a life of loneliness. That would be horrible .

A true friend is one that is there for you even when you screw up. They recognize their faults and their humanity. A friend understands that forgiveness is necessary, and yes even with friendship a vulnerability is apart of life.

To have a friend is special and requires understanding from both sides. To have this in this world and time is rare within itself. One who understands the true meaning of friendship. One who will drop things and come and help without asking for anything in return is lacking in today's world. One that finds the good even when things are bad. They are they for advice and to listen, helping you find yourself along the way.

I was inspired by this thread to get back in touch with the woman I spoke of and we've made up so I'd like to thank all who posted here.