The Depth Of Friendship

Some people take this word for granted.
They use it to describe almost anyone
who touches their lives.
But that’s not fair,
for not everyone fits this word.
It is easy to be a pal, a buddy,
a companion, or an acquaintance,
but to be a friend means
so very much more…

To be a friend
means being trusted and trusting.
Honest and dedicated.
Supportive and available.
It means going strong with
your own life’s work and plans,
yet reaching out to another when you’re needed
(and maybe even when you’re not).

To be a friend is to be fun and fair.
Serious and silly.

To make the mundane exciting.
The unexpected acceptable
To be the silent stronghold without being asked.
To feel happy for someone else’s happiness,
and to share the burden of sorrow
in though and action.
To be a friend
is to be strong enough to be learned on
when someone else cannot walk another step
and to look to that other person
for own tranquility
when the world has spun you
out of control.
It is a lot of giving, a lot of talking,
but most of all, a lot of sharing.

The qualifications of being a friend
Are too high for the ordinary to reach.
It takes a while to earn the title
And a lifetime to truly know it’s meaning.
Never take the job lightly or give it away
too quickly;
it must be cultivated, nurtured, and cared for.
For when you truly find a “friend,”
You are lucky enough to have one for life.