~* True Friendship *~

True Friendship is a dying construct, similar to the monogamous w/ labels relationship. I am not saying that it does not exist anymore; just that it is becoming more and more rare. I feel so blessed when I look at those that I have chosen to be in my life and see wonderful people of honor and substance.

It saddens me when I think of all the lessons I have learned the hard way in my friendships. While getting to know people is full of ups & downs of course as long as I can say that someone has not hurt me intentionally then I can move on. However, to think of those who regard friendship as a means to use people and to get what they want when they want/need it is disgusting to me. So many individuals walk around with so many "friends" and "people in their life" but they regard them more so as resources than a friend. A friend is most definitely a resource at times but when you only speak to someone when you want something from them you need to begin to re-evaluate your priorities. The sad thing is that those people who use their friends rarely recognize the assault that they are committing, and even more discouraging is that a great deal of them do not care.

A real friend will confront you even when they are afraid to, they may get angry when you confront them but they will always pause and think on what you have expressed and come back to communicate with you. A real friend will ask of you when they are in need, but will offer when you are in need (if they can help), and recognize how difficult it may be to ask for help when you do ask. A real friend will respect your privacy, keep your secrets, except when in need of an outside consult to determine how to move forward. A real friend will listen to your same story a million times. A real friend will accept your flaws, and emphasize your positive attributes.

Lastly, a true friend will set a high standard for your friendship and expect nothing less than what you are fully capable of while encouraging you to continue to grow with them!