Friendship

Over the past few years I have been examining what this word means to me as compared to what it means to others. We all have a different view of what frienship really is. Due to recent events in my life, I feel it's prudent to illuminate what friendship means to me.

First and foremost, friendship means trust and loyalty. A true friend is someone you trust, and in turn trusts you. As well they are loyal to you and will stick up for you when others try to put you down. Someone who is not loyal, and betrays that trust for personal gain, or any reason for that matter, is not a friend.

Second, friendship means sacrafice. Sometimes we have to sacrafice our own wants and needs to help a friend. Someone that is unwilling to make sacrafices to help a friend, is, again, not a friend.

Third, friendship means empathy and compassion. Being understanding, sensitive and compassionate is important. Someone unwilling to lend a shoulder to cry on, or to listen to what you have to say is not a friend.

Last, but not least, friendship means respect. All I can say is that friendship is about mutual respect. If you don't have this, you don't have friendship.

These are my basic fundamentals to a good friendship. If you don't have these things, the friendship can not last, and when it ends, it will not be pleasant. I realize that not everyone is going to agree with me, and that there are many more things that make up a good friendship. However this is a good starting place. :)