Friendships provide us with affection, sympathy, empathy, honesty, altruism, mutual understanding and compassion, enjoyment of each other's company, trust, and the ability to be oneself, express one's feelings, and make mistakes without fear of judgment. In adolescence, friendships are often the most important relationships in our lives and the absence of friends can be emotionally damaging. Conventional wisdom suggests that good friendships enhance an individual's sense of happiness and overall well-being. Conversely, loneliness and a lack of social support has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, viral infections, cancer and mortality rates. Experts say that good friends encourage each other to lead healthier lifestyles, encourage each other to seek help and services when needed and enhance coping skills in dealing with issues. In summary, having good friends actually affects our overall psychological and physiological health and well-being.
Quotes from some of the greats:
A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become and still, gently allows you to grow. (William Shakespeare)
Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down. (Oprah Winfrey).
It's the friends you can call up at 4 am that matter. (Marlene Dietrich).
My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me. (Henry Ford).
Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything. (Muhammad Ali).
Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over. (Octavia Butler).
There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first; when you learn to live for others, they will live for you. (Paramahansa Yogananda)
Love is blind; friendship closes its eyes. (Friedrich Nietzsche)
Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... it has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival. (C.S. Lewis).
I think if I've learned anything about friendship, it's to hang in, stay connected, fight for them, and let them fight for you. Don't walk away, don't be distracted, don't be too busy or tired, don't take them for granted. Friends are part of the glue that holds life and faith together. Powerful stuff. (Jon Katz)
Friends make the world a better place. Let's spoil the shit out of our friends and live happier lives. Just sayin;)
Blessings,
Chatgirl
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