According to friends.com, friendship is a combination of affection, loyalty, love, respect, and trust. True friendship is when someone knows you better than you know yourself and takes a position in your best interests, particularly in a crisis. Friendship can go beyond just sharing time together and can be long lasting. Friends play an important role in our lives.
One of my all-time favorite movies is Anne of Green Gables based on the books by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I was given the movie on a VHS tape as a gift many years ago, and I watched it so many times that the VHS tape finally broke. It’s a special story about the friendship of the main character Anne Shirley and her “kindred spirit” Diana Berry. They were true soulmates.
Do you have a special friend that you consider a soulmate? That one friend who knows what you’re thinking or feeling before you say anything? All of us have acquaintances with whom we’re friendly, but the relationship might just be a quick “hello, how are you?” or even just a wave. We might have co-worker friends with whom we socialize at work. But a best friend, a soulmate, is the one with whom we share everything. I hope each one of you has one.
How do we connect or develop that kind of special friendship? It takes time. What are some of the qualities to look for in a true friend?
Trust: the most important quality in a friendship.
Honesty: the freedom to speak and share from the heart.
Dependability: those we can count on and who can count on us.
Loyalty: those whom we trust with our deepest secrets or dreams.
Good listener: those who really pay attention.
Compassion: those who can share our pain when we’re hurting.
Non-judgemental: those who can accept another’s choices even if they differ or disagree. Humor: those we can laugh with.
Self-confidence: those who help instill confidence within us.
To be a good friend or to become one is an investment of time and a commitment to another person’s life. Friendship is important to help us grow and feel supported in our lives. Sometimes friends come into your lives like an angel, right when we need them most. They may be there to help us through hardship.
What kind of friend are you? Do you exhibit the qualities of a good friend? Being a friend or having one isn’t something we should take lightly. It’s an honor, a privilege to have an opportunity to pour ourselves into another person’s life. If you have a friend that’s a true soulmate, then you’re truly blessed. Some people may come and go in our lives, but a true friend, a soulmate, lasts forever.
“A friend
is one who
Strengthens you
with prayers
Blesses you
with love
Encourages you
with hope.”
Closer than a brother…”
YES!