He is not the most caring person in this world, but when I am in tears, he'll do whatever it takes to make me smile. He is not the world's greatest listener, but when my mind stops working and I go on blabbering like a fool to vent my frustrations, he listens to me. We are not compatible per se, we do not always agree with each others point of view and have our share of arguments and spats, but yet after we fight, he often comes and tries to patch things up without any further arguments about who said what...He one of the most blunt speakers I've ever known and yet when it comes to my faults and my failures, he somehow manages to pick out just the right words to make me realize my mistakes without hurting me...He does not pamper me...really, he doesn't ...but when I do silly things like wake him up at three in the morning and ask him if we could go and have ice-cream ...he yells at me...even calls me names and yet I find his car outside my door within fifteen minutes and we are off to our favorite ice-cream parlor! Well I could just go on and on...the point is - he is not the greatest human being on the earth, I know he is not perfect and yet to me he seems like perfection.
Good friends always make life seem so much easier and better. In our busy lives, at times when you feel bogged down and isolated, it is your friends who come through. I know that there is absolutely no need to give out definitions of a true friend or list out qualities that are synonymous, since the answers are subjective. To each his own - my idea of a good friend need not necessarily be accepted by everyone.
What Makes a Good Friend
Complete acceptance is one of the key elements in any human relationship. In case you are a good friend, you need to completely accept your friend with his / her flaws. Friendship is all about the knowing and accepting people as they are. One of the biggest test of friendship is the Dependability of a friend. Whether it is about keeping a secret, or whether it is about taking help in an emergency - dependability is definitely an important ingredient in the friendship.
Togetherness is one of the most beautiful aspects of friendship. No matter what friends always stick together! Be it one of the dullest days of your life while you are killing time doing absolutely nothing, fighting one of the toughest battles you've had to endure, or be it one of your most memorable moments like your graduation or your birthday - friends are always with you no matter what. Unconditional support and encouragement is one of the things which friends have. Even when your friend thinks you are wrong, he / she will first try to convince you, but if that fails, rest assured that no matter which way you choose, true friends are always two steps behind!
If you look hideous in that gaudy dress you bought last week - a true friend will always tell you so! Honesty is indispensable in any relationship. True friends who never hesitate to speak up their minds, are ready to give you a taste of the bitter truth - but they'll either sugarcoat it - or help you cope with it! Often there comes a time when two friends are competing for the same thing - at times like these - a true friend will never get jealous but will never let a competition affect your friendship.
Often when you are feeling low or depressed, you will never have to explain it to your friend that you are feeling low. A true friend knows when you are upset. Understanding without words what is the ultimate level of good friendship. To be a good friend you need to have patience to understand your friend inside out. The mood swings, sign language, codes - friends know it all! Friends are all this and much more. Friends are a helping hand, a comforting shoulder to lean on, a patient ear to listen to you and most important a warm and loving hug to embrace you!
