Eleanor Roosevelt explains what true friends are in this poem she wrote: 'Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. He, who loses money, loses much; He, who loses a friend, loses much more; He, who loses faith, loses all.

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art. Friends, you and me... You brought another friend...and we started our group...our circle of friends... and like a circle... there is no beginning or end. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift.'

You see good and true friends enrich our lives in so many ways. Through a magical combination of similarities and differences, friends offer us the opportunity to know ourselves as we are and help us grow into who we want to be. Our similarities attract us to each other, comforting us with familiarity when we see ourselves in them. When we are drawn to those we admire, the same recognition is at work, unconsciously acknowledging that these people possess qualities that we ourselves possess. By acting as mirrors, friends help us define who we are by reflecting our selves back to us.

Friends also help us know ourselves through our differences. Differences allow us to see other options and make choices about who we want to be. Sometimes we are drawn to those who appear to be our opposites, and we learn to accept the parts of them we love and the parts of them that don't resonate with us, thus allowing us a valuable learning experience. By expanding our understanding to include others' experiences, friends help us accept others. By understanding when someone's life differs from our own, we can learn about ourselves in contrast. There are times when we see in friends what we don't like about ourselves. That mirror reflection may be hard to take, but a good friend helps us find ways we can change and supports us in that choice. Part of the joy of friendship is the feeling that we are accepted just the way we are, with no need to change. It is a gift they give us, and one we can give back every day. Ultimately, we choose friends because they make us feel good about ourselves and life. Through tears and difficulties, friends help us find the laughter. When we find those special people who offer us that perfect combination of comfort and stimulus to grow, we are very fortunate. True friends, those wonderful companions that walk with us through life, help us define and refine who we are and who we choose to be every day.

There is a beautiful story about friendship about a young boy and a puppy … 'A store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read 'Puppies for Sale.' These signs had a weird way of attracting children. And sure enough, a little boy appeared at the sign. "How much are you going to sell those puppies for?" he asked. The store owner replied, "Anywhere from €30-€50." The little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out some change. "I have €2.37 can I have a look at them?" The store owner smiled and whistled and out of the kennel came Pepsi, who ran down the aisle of his store followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur. One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said "What's wrong with that little dog?" The man explained that when the puppy was born, the vet had said that it had no hip socket and would limp for the rest of its life. The little boy got really excited and said "That's the puppy I want to buy!" The man replied "No, you don't want to buy that little dog.

If you really want him, I'll give him to you." The little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the man's eyes, and said, "I don't want you to give him to me. He is worth every bit as much as the other dogs and I'll pay the full price. In fact, I'll give you €2.37 now and 50 cents every month until I have him paid for." The man countered, "You really don't want to buy this puppy. He is never going to be able to run, jump and play like other puppies!" To this the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the man and said, "Well, I don't run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands."

In life, it doesn't matter who you are, but whether someone appreciates you for what you are, accepts you and loves you unconditionally. Look around you as your thought for the week and be thankful and truly cherish those true friends that are part of your life.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment