True Friendship

                    

          An anonymous writer once said, “A true friend is like the best book, sometimes, the cover may not be so elegant but the contents are like bars of gold that you could treasure for a lifetime”. This quote states that friendship is a valuable thing that is hard to find but can last for a long time. Friendship as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is, “the state of being friends”. For me, friendship is an emotion expressed between two persons or among people in a group where they share similar interests and feel the importance of each other. A person is in luck when he finds a company of good friends he could interact, share many experiences, and develop camaraderie with. Naturally, situations are not always pleasant; conflicts and disagreement are inevitable. Indeed, friendship affects individuals either negatively or positively.

          Friendship is as subjective and diverse as people. It is a relationship that is unique. People are willing to give up and do not mind what others would say for the sake of their friendship. It develops through time and transcends all boundaries. It grows and changes just as an individual does. It is a give and take relationship in which one can learn from each other.

          How can we find true friendship? Signs include a certain degree of affection to one another. It involves genuine care, love, and honesty. Moreover, a true friend always lends an ear to hear his friend's thoughts and feelings. He can share his personal stories without fear of judgment or negative criticism. He serves as a wall that supports his friend no matter what.

         The best thing a person could have is having friends around him, and the best thing he could be is to be a friend to someone. In my personal experience, I have gained a lot of friends over the years. The best were in high school and in college. They knew me very well and accepted me for who I am. Acceptance of each others' strengths and weaknesses best explains that friends will be there through thick and thin. The language of friendship is not words but actions. It develops through each other's efforts. Friendship has also a great effect on individuals. It gives a person the motivation to do well in different activities. For example, you studied together for an exam. As the results were released and found out that your friend failed, you fell sad, but even worse when it was the other way around. It does not imply, though, that you do not want the best for your friend. It simply gives you the inspiration to study more and match what he has achieved.

          On the other side, friendship also has bad influences. Friends, especially teenagers, learn to discover and try new things. They tempt, whether intentionally or not, and influence one with their bad habits. As companions, some may simply tolerate his friends’ behavior without realizing that he is already doing the same. There are others as well who feel like those unpleasant behaviors don't rub off on them. All I can say is just need to learn how to redirect attention away from those potentially bad influences. Still, it is up to the person as to what kind of companion he chooses to develop a healthy relationship with.

         There are different kinds of relationships, but the best one of all is friendship. It is like a four leaf clover that is hard to find but lucky to have. It is a strong bond that no one else could break. Friends are important as water because one may survive but he will not be able to last long without them. A person and his friends may differ from one another but they do know his likes and dislikes, and his goals and dreams in life. Friends are the best and one can never feel any better without them.

References:

Friendship. In Webster’s Dictionary Online. Retrieved November 18, 2011 from http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/friendship

Glasgow. Arnold H. Glasgow quotes. Retrieved November 18, 2011 from www.searchquotes.com/quotation/

Friendship. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2009 Edition). Helm, Bennett, Edward N. Zalta. Retrieved from http:// plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2009/entries/friendship/

The Definition of Friendship. In Example Essays Online. Retrieved November 21, 2011 from http://www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/14522.html