Friendship stuff goes here...

So, what exactly makes a person who they are? Our conscience, confidence, thoughts, appearance, and actions all play an important roll in who we are and how we keep our friendship with others. You have thought about it right? What makes your friend your friend? How and where do your answers fall within each of the above words? Each one of us is unique but precisely designed. As an individual, we each have our own individuality that makes us all different. Tear a piece of paper in half. Go ahead – have fun. Now that you have relieved a little aggression, study the torn edge of each piece of paper. Notice that each edge of the paper will have some large and some minute differences from the other piece of paper that you tore. Those edges represent your traits. But when held next to each other, with the torn edge facing, they are a mirror image of each other. The difference in the first side of the paper compliments the imperfection found in the other side of the paper. Just like us humans, our unique individuality compliments our friends own unique being-ness and vise versa. Friendship by design works in this way.

The dictionary defines Friendship as follows:

Friend
1. A person whom one knows, likes and trusts.
2. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; comrade.
3. One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group.
4. An acquaintance.

The dictionary makes one "small" omission though. It doesn't speak of the years that a friendship endures. The laughter that fills the air when friends are together, the support, understanding and comfort a friend can offer or the anguish you cannot escape from when a friend is moving or even worse, dying. The dictionary cannot begin to define the word ‘Friend’. This is what makes friendship so much more.

So then what is this magic called Friendship? Is there a magic wand that silently transforms you and those special people on a journey into, what sometimes can be a lifelong relationship?

Is it mutual admiration, common interests, the need to be a friend? Or is it just an enduring tie that bonds you together, allows you to almost think as one and gives you one of life’s greatest joys.

Now, your idea of a good friend is still the person who gives you the better of the two choices. Holds your hand when you're scared. Helps you fight off those who try to take advantage of you. Thinks of you at times when you are not there. Reminds you of what you have forgotten. Helps you put the past behind you but understands when you need to hold on to it a little longer. Stays with you so that you have confidence. Goes out of their way to make time for you. Helps you clear up your mistakes. Helps you deal with pressure from others. Smiles for you when they are sad. Helps you become a better person. However most importantly loves you!

Notice how friendship is just like the two sides of the torn piece of paper. One compliments the other. When one is sad, the other fits in your void, and somehow makes you better. Where confidence lacks, they provide your encouragement.

Volumes could be filled to explain what friendship means. And I believe that it means something different for each of us. But at its core, you find the differences that compliment one another. Just like a puzzle, each piece holds another piece,… its friends. Each individually unique, but similar through friendship.