Friend is a great word to have as we go through life. But as many of you know, not everyone knows what it means to be a friend. Many people have friends but no idea how they define that word. I guess we can look at the definition and see that it simply means having a relationship with someone else. That is the most basic of all our relationships. We spend time with them, we talk to them, we help them with things, and we are there to listen to them when they need it.
However, I think this is a very narrow view of what friendship is. When we are just dating people, we are more likely to base our friendship on physical attraction. After all, we really only have a few dates before we find someone we want to marry or have a family relationship with. I think that is why people tend to call themselves friends, because that is what they have with the person they are dating. Or even if they have only met the person briefly, they have decided that they like them.
But as we get older and enter into our mid-life years and later, our relationships start to change. We realize that we don't have to be friends with someone in order to have a good relationship. It may not work out, but it never hurts to have a casual connection. It is better than having nothing in common with someone and no emotional tie either. So what does it mean to be a friend?
My best friend is my mother. She is a very important part of my life and definitely has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. She has taught me many things about life and she has always been a great support for me. She helped me overcome many challenges in life and she has always been there whenever I needed her.
So what does it mean to be a friend to someone you care about and who is close to your heart? When my best friend was in the hospital fighting cancer, my mother and I made plans to visit her every day. She missed her family a lot, but she made it through and we did visit each other.
As time passes by, I have become more aware of what it means to be a friend. Friendship is not always easy, and you are not your friend when someone is mean to you or is abusive. But you can become a friend by giving and being generous with your time, your resources, and your advice. I always tell my mother, "I'll see you tomorrow, just to be here." She knows I love her and she knows I will always be her friend.