A friend in need is a friend indeed, is what we often say.
Someone near that you can trust, who will never go away.
A kindred spirit and a soulmate too, through good and bad, they'll be there with you.
There are many important things in life that we feel we need in which to get through it.
Something of value, something for survival, something that can help you through both the good times and the bad, through thick and thin, through the rough and the smooth.
That is where having a friend becomes important.
The word friend relates to someone we have made a connection with in a personal way.
A friend is someone we feel comfortable with, a person who accepts you for who you are without judgment or unfair criticism.
You might say that a friend is closer to you than a lover, as there is no romantic pressure.
The feeling between friends is friendship.
The friendship is the bond between you and your friend.
The origins of the word friend relate to love.
That is to say the love between two people, but not necessarily a sexual one.
You might say that friendship outlives love.
It is not unusual for lovers to become friends and friends to become lovers.
We often view childhood as the best time to make friends.
There might be one person who you become best friends with in school.
That friendship might only last until you both graduate, or it might continue for the rest of your lives.
A lifelong friend is a rare thing, but it is possible to have a friendship that lasts a long time.
We can describe a friend in many ways.
They are your pal, your buddy, your mate, your companion, your chum, your mucker, your best pal, your confidant, your shoulder to cry on.
A person you are friends with, but not closely, can be described as an acquaintance.
You know something about the person, but you don't know them very well.
For example, a business or work acquaintance is someone you deal with in your job.
We often describe someone we know but are not personally close to as a friend of a friend.
A friend of a friend of mine can get you some tickets for the match.
A friend of a friend tells me that you are getting married.
It would be fair to say that as we go through life it is more common to make acquaintances than it is to find close personal friends.
Friendships can be made and broken.
Two people become friends.
Two people might break their friendship.
They are no longer friends.
Why do we need friendship?
Does everyone need a friend?
Do some people avoid making friends?
As I said earlier, friendship is something we need.
It is what makes us human.
The urge to have friends is what pushes us forward in the world.
Of course, from friendship you might also find that special person.
You might discover that sometimes friendship can turn into something much deeper.
There are many phrases in English that use friendship as their base.
To have friends in high places means that you know people who have power and influence.
Very useful for when you need help getting out of a difficult situation, or maybe that special favour that you need from someone else.
You and another person might be friends with benefits, which means you are in a friendship where sex will occasionally take place.
Are you and Penny friends with benefits?
It is possible to use the word friend as a verb when adding someone to a list of people we want to keep in touch with.
You might friend someone on a social media site.
That person is being added to your friends list.
A person who seems nice and kind might be described as friendly.
That person is both sociable and approachable.
Of course, not everyone is good at making new friends.
Some see it as a skill.
Some people find talking to strangers difficult to do.
They are socially awkward.
They find it hard to socialise.
Some people choose not to have close friends.
They prefer their own company.
They prefer being alone.
People love staying in touch with their friends.
They will often meet up to chat about what is new in their lives.
They get together to catch up with each other.
Some people believe that face-to-face friendship is being replaced by virtual friendships over the internet.
Some feel that we are not as sociable as we used to be.
While it might be true that some people do prefer making friends in the virtual world, there are still many who prefer the good old fashioned real friendship and social contact.
What do you think?
To bond, to join, to trust, to care, to laugh, to cry, to love, to share.
That is friendship.
Ta-ta for now.