FRIENDSHIP: A Perspective

Sometimes you meet someone and from that very moment you know that he’s meant to be in your life. That someone may be there to let you understand yourself more. He may be there to cheer you up, to lend an ear and a shoulder when you need one. He may also help you become what you’re ought to become. In other words, he is there to serve some sort of purpose.

He will be there to support you and give encouragement when you need it. He will be happy for your success and feel sad when you’re hurting. He will be by your side when life becomes unfair. He is there to comfort you and is ready to listen. That person will truly affect your life.

That someone is a friend.

The idea of writing this article came when a friend asked me a question on friendship. I managed to answer her questions. I just hope i answered it sufficient enough to satisfy her interrogating mind. I told her i’ll write something about friendship on my blog, but i think it took me more than a month before i was finally able to publish this post. ( PB… Here it is. )

Friendship is a very broad concept. It can be discussed in a lot of ways.

Whether we admit it or not, friends make life easier. But maintaining friendship is not a piece of cake. It entails time, effort, trust, patience, love and sacrifice.

Sometimes, we have a tendency to be so dependent on our friends. We want them to be always there for us. Some friends may find that too much. But some may gladly welcome that. Some friends have a need to be needed… And that is oftentimes, overlooked. Being needed uplifts that person’s value of self-worth. He feels, important, valuable and worthy. And that unconsciously, boosts his self-esteem.

Yet, not every friend appreciates that. There are some who thinks of it as being a “suck-up”. Of course, it is a case-to-case basis. Let’s be real, there are really quite a number who “uses” their friends for personal gain. But i think, mostly relies on their friends for help, for the basic reason that they are his friends. A friend is “supposed-to-be” there in times of need. No one would like the feeling of rejection… Of being turned down… Of being neglected or taken for granted.

On the other hand, we should not expect so much from our friends. It hurts to be frustrated or disappointed when we expect our friends to be what they are not. Friendship means acceptance. We accept the total person of that someone we call a friend — flaws and all.

People come and go… — so as friends. But there are a few who will stay. These few see something genuine in you and deserve your friendship. If there’s a time that you feel you and your friend are drifting apart, one of the best things to do is talk. Air out sentiments. Discuss details. If silence is needed, go ahead. A true friend understands your silence… but not for long. In order to settle issues and differences that may be causing the rift, communication is vital. Even the greatest of friends cannot read minds.

Learn to value your friends. Make every day count. Appreciate the moments you share together. Not every person has the chance to have the true friends that you have now. Treasure them. The same way they should treasure you.