Need a Friend?

“The most called upon prerequisite of a friend is and accessible ear.” –Maya Angelou

It is true. The first thing that makes a person a friend to another person is his capability to listen. Everyone needs to be heard. And mostly everyone respects anyone who listens to him. That is, for me, the start of friendship.

“Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer.” –Ed Cunningham

Yes, this is another quotation that tells how listening could start a friendship. Barely anyone could ask us how we are. But only true friends will listen to what we feel and understand us. That is why we feel comfortable with them and always want to be with them. We also trust them, even to the point that we trust them more than we trust our family members. Another good thing about having true friends is that they do not need your explanations. Your enemies won’t listen to your explanations but your friends do not need them. They simply understand you and can relate to you.

“The proper office of a friend is to side with you when you are in the wrong. Nearly anybody will side with you when you are right.” –Mark Twain

This quote often applies to almost anyone. When you are right, everybody seems to side with you and be your friends. But when you are wrong, most of them leave you and always side with what they think is right while true friends will still stay with you, understand you and be with you all throughout.

“Stay is a charming word in a friend’s vocabulary.” –Amoss Bronson Acott

It is true. Friends really stay with you through good times or bad. They will always encourage you to go on with life and still makes you believe that it is worth living. Often times, friends are the causes of your unbecoming acts that lead you to be scolded, punished or more severely, jailed. But that is the test of true friendship. When you are in trouble at around 2:00 in the morning, a friend will surely call, but a true friend will surely go to your house and check if you are all right. Indeed, a friend always stays.

“One does not make friends. One recognizes them.” –Garth Henrichs

People cannot make friends. Friends are people. Of course, people can make people. But people cannot make someone a friend. It is a relationship. So people cannot make friends but make him a friend and be a friend to him too. Again, people cannot make friends. They make their bond with each other stronger and thus, create friendship (not friend). People recognize someone a friend and not make him a friend.

I am fortunate to have many friends. And I am more thankful because I belong to a certain group of friends, the CRBMMDAJ. It is here that I feel secure and it is where I can be myself. It is important to have many friends. And for all these reasons, I also believe that this last statement holds absolutely true…

“How rare and wonderful is that flash of a moment when we realize we have discovered a friend.” –William Botsler