Three Decade of Friendship- What Makes It Last?

Social network such as “Facebook” allows us today to make hundreds or thousands of friends. All we have to do is to add them in our friends list, send or accept request for friendship. And when we wish to end that so called “friendship”, we could simply delete or remove their name from our list. However, the reality that startling many- does true friendship eludes? Or can we really find true friends? Friendship isn’t just simply clicking our phones or computer screen.

WHAT IT TAKES FOR A LASTING FRIENDSHIP

1. Commitment. Show that you really care for them. Let them know that you’re always there for them at all times, happy moments and lonesome days, not just by telling them so, but being on their side when they needed you even when you are not being told. In short, let them feel that you have a responsibility towards them and that you really care for them.

2. Don’t set expectation, be realistic. Every one has our own flaws. No one is perfect. Each one have to make adjustments. We should not force our friends to do things that we want or like even if they are not being comfortable on their part.

3. Be a good communicator. Friendship flourish with regular communication. Talk together more often. Learn to listen and don’t insist what you believe, respect their opinion. Give them commendation and encouragement whenever possible. Don’t make it a habit to correct them for every little mistake they do, instead be wise to point out serious mistakes and guide them and offer tactful advice in a humble way.

   Selecting people to befriend does not limit us on certain age or upbringing. We can have friendship of all ages, cultural backgrounds and nationality. Friendship last if we are understanding enough toward our friends not overlooking on minor faults and shortcomings of each other. Let’s not be easily irritated in things we argued with our friends. It is healthy to apply this principles, “Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely even if any one has a cause of complaint against another. . . But besides all these things, cloth yourselves with love, for it is a perfect bond of union.” -Colossians 3:13,14.
   
   
   
   The things discussed above are the reasons how my friendship for almost 3 decades last with this people I called “friends”. We laughed together. We talk about almost everything in our lives. After some years, we build our own different lives and been separated by distance, but we keep in touch as often as we can, and we never forgets that in times we needed someone to lean on we always have each other whom we can trust even the deepest secret we have. We sometimes argue but we never quarrel. Friendship been too old but we never get tired. We sometimes loss our communication but we never forgets. We get irritated but we don’t delete or remove any one of them in our friends list.
   Friends are one of the spices that makes life the best recipe. They bring us rainbow when dark clouds seems all around. They paint our life to make it bright and beautiful. If you have true friends, cherish them for they can truly enrich our life.
   

ref.:jw.org/pub/awake june2014