In this article, I will talk about friendships and use friendship quotes to drive home the point.
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Who Is A Friend?
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
– Walter Winchell
There are those who you call your “friends”, but in truth, they’re just acquaintances. Then there are some people you refer to as friends but you are never able to be comfortable around. And finally, there are your true friends who really make you feel you are a part of something great.
In fact, research has revealed that it takes about 50 hours' worth of face time for a mere acquaintance to become a casual friend, then 90 hours to upgrade to the status of a standard friend. Then, it takes about 200 additional hours of interaction for a "close friendship" to develop! Hellman.
Your true friends are the ones that know your every secret and are the first people you contact when you want to have a great time, and definitely feel comfortable around.
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
— Dale Carnegie
According to Degges-White, there are four core types of friendship: acquaintance, friend, close friend, and best friend. To know more about these types of friendships go here.
Unfortunately, in time, we all get swallowed up by life and don’t have as much time as we used to for our friends. And after high school and college, the matter only gets worse as friendships become hard to sustain. You lose touch and your friends have to take a different path in life from you, whether it be physically or mentally, yes, this thing we call 'adulting' does take a toll on friendships. Ever wonder why it seems to be easier to keep in touch with your friends while in high school or university, the worries of life hasn't fully taken their toll yet.
“Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the departing sun, it falls tenderly, yet sadly, on the heart.”
– Washington Irving
In truth, some people are willing to set aside time for you while others just can’t be bothered, and then again the current situation they find themselves is a determining factor. You can't always blame people for not having time for you sometimes the timing may not be suitable.
Friendship takes commitment from all parties involved to sustain, if not it breaks down.
People change, and we inevitably face many disappointments when it comes to friends, but life has to go on. Furthermore, if a “friendship” is in the way of your development or progress, breaking it off is the right thing to do. You can’t help it, some people are just bad for you, and if you are unhappy with the way things are going, try working on it or jump ship.
Our priorities change from friends to work and family as we grow older. It becomes increasingly more difficult to keep friendships alive as we take on more responsibilities. Sadly, some people don’t realize that it’s not easy for their friends to make time for them any time they want. If you have to concentrate on important matters in your life and your friend refuses to make peace with that, then it’s not hard to understand that they haven’t matured properly.
However, some people try to excuse themselves for all kinds of different reasons like “I’m busy” and after some time, you cannot do anything else but give up and hope that one day they contact you. The worst feeling is when you wait for them to get in touch with you but ages go by and they just never do. That shows you how much of a true friend they really are.
“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future and accepts you just the way you are.”
– Unknown
Trying to sustain something already dead is pointless and a waste of time and energy. Sometimes spending time together and maybe buying each other gifts may strengthen the bond.
The quality of your friendships outweighs the number of friends you have. Like the adage goes in somethings "Quality beats quantity".
“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.”
– Tennessee Williams
In conclusion, friends are valuable and true friends are hard to come by and worth keeping. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of effort to keep a friendship alive.
That's all folks.
What are your thoughts about this and how long is the oldest friendship you have?
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Further Readings: How To Keep A Relationship Strong And Healthy
