If you read or belong to Facebook, you can often observe how many "friends" that a person has attracted to his or her page. On Facebook, a friend is just someone you know who might want to read something that you post. It often has nothing to do with a close and meaningful relationship. It is akin to the number of people who have a subscription to the same newspaper. It is a list of occasional or regular readers but is not necessarily based on a close friendship.
I think I have about 80 "friends" who might occasionally look at a posting of mine, but it is a meaningless number to me. Some people take great pride in noting that they have 200 or 800 or a thousand friends. It has the same significance as thinking that if you have an autograph of Wayne Gretzky that he can be called a friend of yours. Nonsense!
Friends are not identifiable by Facebook or in your list of email addresses. Most of the people are acquaintances of some sort but a friend is a far more special relationship. What is the true definition of a friend? One from the Internet states: A true friend is a friend when it is convenient and when it is not. They standby you consistently both when you are present and when you are not. They're authentic and honest with you. True friends aren't phoney with you. They show you who they really are.
I can concur with the qualities listed above but I feel there are some other dimensions that must be in place to identify a "real" friend. Friends usually have shared an important experience or spent a fair amount of valued time with you. Friends usually share common interests, shared values, often similar beliefs, and enjoy the company of each other. Often friends share a long timeline with each other. Friends from school or your workplace often last a longer time than casual acquaintances.
If you call someone and without any explanation ask them for a favour or to do something for you and they accept, that is a true friend. If you possess one or two in your life you are richer than most!
I don't quote it often (enough)...
ReplyDeleteTrustworthy friends are a strong shelter; whoever finds one has found a treasure. Trustworthy friends have no price, and no one can estimate their worth.
Trustworthy friends are life's medicine.
100% in agreement.
ReplyDeleteExcerpt from the "Havamal" Viking poem "The Sayings of Odin" First written down in the 12th C, originated most likely in the late 9th and early 10th C
ReplyDelete"A man should be loyal through life to friends,
To them and to friends of theirs,
But never shall a man make offer
Of friendship to his foes.
A man should be loyal through life to friends,
And return gift for gift,
Laugh when they laugh,
but with lies repay
A false foe who lies.
If you find a friend you fully trust
And wish for his good-will,
exchange thoughts,
exchange gifts,
Go often to his house."
Harold
Thanks for sharing. A great addition. I like it.
ReplyDelete