Friends are..

Friends are like Flowers..
They add color to your life...
They spread Fragrance...
They wipe your tears...
They make you laugh..
They are always there when you need them and doesn't
When you are down they give you support
They rejoice with joy
Think of them...they may not tell you when they need you
Do you act along they never blame you Because they are your true friends and they only see the good in you,
they love you the way you are, they think of you a lot, they fight for you.
They give you special place in their heart.. and they know very well..
Friends Forever...

A True Friend...

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day one fellow met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”. “Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.”. “Triple filter?”. “That’s right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?” “No,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…”. “All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t know if it’s true or not. Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?” . “No, on the contrary…”. “So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?” “No, not really.” “Well,” concluded Socrates, “if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?”

Lesson:

Well we can always participate in loose talks to curb our boredom. But when it comes to you friends its not worth it. Always avoid talking behind the back about your near and dear friends.

Once in a life...!

A true friend is someone you can be yourself around, and never have to try and put on an act, they are someone you share your deepest secrets with, laugh together at lifes treasured moments. Sometimes we laugh together for absolutely no reason at all.

This person knows everything about you and still loves you just the same!

You know you are truly blessed to find a friend this special at least once in your lifetime. Treasure all that you’ve been blessed with, a rare kind of friendship comes once in a lifetime.

I thank the Lord daily for the rare gift of your friendship and the blessing bestowed to share such a gift.

My only hope is to someday be the kind of friend you’ve always been to me! A true forever kind of friend!!

GOD BLESS YOU MY FRIEND!

Funny Friendship Story...!

While walking down a busy street one day, a successful Human Resource Director was knocked down by a bus. She died and her soul came to Heaven. She met St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, who said that they never had an HR director before, so he had no idea what to do. She asked him if she could go inside and see for herself, but St. Peter declined saying that he had orders from higher authorities, not to allow any soul to enter without going through a test. He told her that she would have to live for a day in Hell and one day in Heaven and then choose between the two.

She was sent to Hell via the elevator. When the door finally opened, she was quite surprised to find a lush green golf course. In front of her were her friends and fellow colleagues, with whom she had worked when she was alive. They were all dressed in gorgeous gowns and lovely clothes and were cheering for her. She had a warm welcome and enjoyed every bit of her stay there. She talked of old times with them, relived old memories and had a splendid dinner. She was pleasantly surprised to see the Devil (who was actually handsome!) dressed up in a nice suit and talk to her very politely. Finally, it was time for her to bid farewell to her friends and go back to the Pearly Gates.

She got out of the elevator and found St. Peter waiting for her. He then told her that she would now spend 24 hours in Heaven. She was greeted with a beautiful sight in Heaven. She saw gorgeous angels and splendid clouds. She lounged the entire day on clouds and played the harp. She had a great time singing and entertaining herself and before she could realize her day was over. She met St. Peter again who asked her where she would like to go for eternity. She chose Hell, as she thought she had a better time there with her friends.

Therefore, she was sent back to Hell via the same elevator. When she reached, she had a shock awaiting her. Instead of the green golf course, she saw a dilapidated wasteland that was covered in filth. Her friends were dressed in rags and were picking up garbage. Finally, she saw the Devil who looked horrifying, instead of handsome. She asked him what happened here, as she was expecting something different. The Devil just smiled and said that yesterday, they were recruiting and today she was the staff!

True Real Friends....

True real friends double your happiness and half your burdens. Basically how you would like a true real friend to be, you should be like this to your true friends. Trust, forgiveness, accountability are some ingredients of a true friend. True friendships are hard to come by. And what’s more, life is short. So treasure these friends if you have already have them. If you don’t continue to search, because once you have them, life becomes so much easier to live, no matter what happens. 

Friendships need lots of energy and patience to maintain them. Not to mention time too. When your friend needs you, sometimes when things are not going too well on your side, it is often so easy to turn a deaf ear to their pleas. It is especially during these times, that you must find the strength in you to help your friend. And it is during these times that your friendship will be forged and made stronger.

And you must always be happy for their successes, even when things are not going too well on your side. It might be hard to do for some people but it is something that you need to learn. Think about all the sacrifices your friend has made for you and all the times when he or she was happy for you despite his or her own troubles.

Think about all the happy times you all enjoyed and the sad, rough times you all went through together. That should give you sufficient patience to actually be a true friend for them. Remember, true friends are the next best thing to family. They will always be your pillar of support no matter what. Always.

My Dog, My Buddy...!

An old man and his dog were walking down this dirt road with fences on both sides, they came to a gate in the fence and looked in, it was nice – grassy, woody areas, just what a ‘huntin’ dog and man would like, but, it had a sign saying ‘no trespassing’ so they walked on.

They came to a beautiful gate with a person in white robes standing there. “Welcome to Heaven” he said. The old man was happy and started in with his dog following him.

The gatekeeper stopped him. “Dogs aren't allowed, I’m sorry but he can’t come with you.” “What kind of Heaven won’t allow dogs? If He can’t come in, then I will stay out with him. He’s been my faithful companion all his life, I can’t desert him now. ” “Suit yourself, but I have to warn you, the Devil’s on this road and he’ll try to sweet talk you into his area, he’ll promise you anything, but, the dog can’t go there either. If you won’t leave the dog, you’ll spend Eternity on this road ” So the old man and dog went on.

They came to a rundown fence with a gap in it, no gate, just a hole. Another old man was inside. “Scuse me Sir, my dog and I are getting mighty tired, mind if we come in and sit in the shade for awhile?” “Of course, there’s some cold water under that tree over there. Make yourselves comfortable ” “You’re sure my dog can come in? The man down the road said dogs weren't allowed anywhere.” “Would you come in if you had to leave the dog?” ” No sir, that’s why I didn't go to Heaven, he said the dog couldn't come in. We’ll be spending Eternity on this road, and a glass of cold water and some shade would be mighty fine right about now. But, I won’t come in if my buddy here can’t come too, and that’s final. ”

The man smiled a big smile and said “Welcome to Heaven.” “You mean this is Heaven? Dogs ARE allowed? How come that fellow down the road said they weren’t?” “That was the Devil and he gets all the people who are willing to give up a life long companion for a comfortable place to stay.

They soon find out their mistake, but, then it’s too late.

The dogs come here, the fickle people stay there. GOD wouldn’t allow dogs to be banned from Heaven.

After all, HE created them to be man’s companions in life, why would he

separate them in death?”

What is a True Friend....?

What is a true friend? A true friend is someone you can count on to laugh with you, cry with you and be there for you through good times and bad. Unfortunately, people do not come with a true friend label; you need to be able to spot the characteristics of a good friend.

Throughout your life, you will encounter many, many people. Some of them will become good buddies and some will become true friends. The difference between a good friend and good buddy is that the friend will be with you for life. Buddies come and go with school, work and neighborhoods, but a true friendship can survive being separated by continents.

It is very disappointing when someone you thought was a friend lets you down. It can be very hurtful when you lose a friendship. You may be sad, lonely and even angry with the "friend" who let you down.

While there is no guarantee that a friendship will last, you can look for several characteristics in a person. If they have the following traits, they are more likely to become your lifelong friend. Luckily, you will be able to tell if a person has these characteristics right away; they are core values that will be apparent in everything a person does.

Characteristics of a True Friend

• Honest and trustworthy: Can they keep a secret? A good friend doesn-t gossip about you. Do they tell they truth? If they lie to you or about you, they are not a true friend. At the same time, however, a true friend will always look out for you. If you ask a friend to keep something that's harmful a secret, like drug use or stealing, they may tell somebody in an attempt to get you help. That's not betrayal, that's caring.
• Good Listener: Do they listen to you or do they only talk about themselves? If you tell them that you don't eat candy, do they remember that?
• Loyal: Do they stick with you even when you are grumpy? Are they still your friend when your sick or out of money? If someone is gossiping about you, will your friend step in and put a stop to it?
• Available: Are they available when you need them? If you need to talk instead of going to the movies, are they willing to sit and talk with you? Will they help you finish your chores so you can go swimming?
• Supportive: A true friend will never make you do something that goes against your moral or religious beliefs. They will not ask you to lie, steal or cheat, or to do drugs or alcohol.

If your friend has these characteristics, you know you have found someone who is a true friend. Be a good friend to this person, and you'll benefit from this friendship for many years to come.

How to become a true friend...

We all want to have true friends, but the quality of our friends depend on us. If you want to have true friends, you should be a true friend yourself. By being a true friend, people will love to be around you and many of them will eventually become your true friends.

In addition, being a true friend is a good way to solve relationship problems. It’s difficult to change other people, but you can always change yourself. You can then solve the otherwise unsolved problems in relationships.

Here I’d like to share 17 tips to become a true friend. It may take years to learn to apply them but they are essential to boost your relationships.

Here they are:

1. Befriend yourself

Friendship with oneself is all important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world.Eleanor Roosevelt

This is an essential first step if you are to be a true friend. If you don’t even accept yourself, how can you accept others? You may have made mistakes in the past that you can’t forget. But forgive yourself for them. You perhaps don’t have the traits you want in life. But accept yourself as you are.

2. Accept others

A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.Unknown

After you befriend yourself, you will be in a good position to accept others. Other people may do you wrong or have some bad habits you don’t like. But you are not perfect yourself so there is no reason for you not to accept them.

3. Make time

At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.Barbara Bush

Sometimes we are too busy to provide time for relationships, even for important people in our life. That most likely happens because we put relationships too low in our priority list. If we regard relationships as high priority, time won’t be a problem. We will make time for relationships.

4. Be a good listener

Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer.Ed Cunningham

The art of listening is one of the most difficult arts to master. I experience it myself. Sometimes I talk with a friend but don’t carefully listen to what he says. Sometimes I’m introduced to a new person but don’t carefully listen to her name. A true friend doesn’t do that. A true friend is a good listener.

5. Enrich others’ life

Friendship is a treasured gift, and every time I talk with you I feel as if I’m getting richer and richer.Unknown

A true friend provides value to others. She wants people who meets her to be enriched in their life. If you want to do that, you should live a lifestyle of value. This way you amass value in your life you can then distribute to others.

6. Understand first

Everyone looks at life through his own lens. Often we expect others to see life through the same lens as ours, but that will create a lot of problems. A true friend is someone who is willing to look through other people’s lenses first. He tries to understand why they think and act that way.

One thing I find helpful for this is learning about personality. Learning about personality helps me understand why people behave differently from me in certain situations. A good, easy-to-digest book on this subject is Personality Plus.

7. Find common ground

Finding common ground helps you connect with new friends quickly. The common ground allows you to talk to others about something they are interested in and thereby build relationships with them.

To make it easier to find common ground, you should enlarge your ground. The larger your ground, the easier it is for you to connect with others. Two simple ways to enlarge your ground is reading a lot and listening a lot.

8. Be interested

If you want to be interesting you should first be interested. Be curious. Cultivate interest about many things. If you do that, you can genuinely be enthusiastic when people talk to you about something. People will feel appreciated and love to be around you.

9. Take initiative to help

Make use of your friends by being of use to them.Benjamin Franklin

A true friend doesn’t wait until someone asks his help. Instead, he takes the initiative to help others. This, of course, is easier said than done. To do this, you should be on the lookout for needs. Be sensitive. Often you can find others’ needs through what they implicitly say. You may also see it through their body language. When you sense a need, think about how you can help them and take the initiative to help.

10. Trust others

Confidence is the foundation of friendship. If we give it, we will receive it.Harry E. Humpreys

If you treat others as good and trustworthy people, they will also treat you likewise. Believe in your heart that people are naturally good, even when they seem to be the opposite. People will feel how you believe in them and they will be touched by your sincerity.

11. Rebuke when you should

In giving advice, seek to help, not please, your friend.Solon

A true friend is not afraid of saying the truth, even if it’s not convenient to the ones who hear it. A true friend cares too much about the person’s wellness that he can’t afford to let him live wrongly. Always have others’ best interest in your heart and be honest to them.

12. Know the right time to do things

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.Gloria Naylor

A true friend knows the right time to praise, the right time to listen, and the right time to rebuke. She knows when to come and when to stay away. A true friend masters the art of timing.

13. Have integrity

There can be no friendship without confidence and no confidence without integrity.Samuel Johnson

Integrity is the foundation of true friendship. Be sure that you do what you say. You can only build true friendship if you are true to yourself and others.

14. Commend others

Reprove your friend privately, commend him publicly.Solon

People need appreciation. They need to know that you appreciate them. Often we are quick to criticize but slow to commend. Let’s make it the opposite. Sincerely commend them when they do something right. Even better, commend them publicly.

15. Leverage others’ potential

My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.Henry Ford

A true friend wants to see the people around them live up to their maximum potential. You can do this by helping your friends recognize and develop their personal strengths.

16. See the positive side of others

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.Bernard Meltzer

A true friend knows you good enough to see your weaknesses but he still believes in your potential. To become a true friend, you should believe that your friends are good on the inside no matter how bad their outward appearance might be. It’s by this belief that you can sincerely encourage them.

17. Be present in difficult times

True friendship isn’t about being there when it’s convenient; it’s about being there when it’s not.Unknown

This is the test of true friendship. Fake friends will be with you when you are happy since they want to share your happiness. But fake friends won’t be with you in difficult times. Only true friends willchoose to be with you in difficult times.

So, to be a true friend, be with your friends in their dark moments. Be with them even if you need to let go your own convenience. It may be the most difficult tip of all, but it’s the mark of true friendship.

***

While learning these tips may take years, we can always grow and become better every day.

Do you have tips to become a true friend?

Simple Vs Real...

A simple friend identifies himself when he calls.

A real friend doesn't have to.

A simple friend opens a conversation with a full news bulletin on his life.

A real friend says, "What's new with you?"

A simple friend thinks the problems you whine about are recent.

A real friend says, "You've been whining about the same thing for 14 years. Get off your duff and do something about it."

A simple friend has never seen you cry.

A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.

A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names.

A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.

A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.

A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean.

A simple friend hates it when you call after he has gone to bed. 

A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.

A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems.

A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.

A simple friend wonders about your romantic history.

A real friend could blackmail you with it.

A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.

A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself.

A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.

A real friend knows that it's not a friendship until after you've had a fight.

A simple friend expects you to always be there for them.

A real friend expects to always be there for you!

Friendship..

Friends Forever...

Two inseparable friends, Sam and Jason, met with an accident on their way to Boston City. The following morning, Jason woke up blind and Sam was still unconscious. Dr. Berkeley was standing at his bedside looking at his health chart and medications with a thoughtful expression on his face. 

When he saw Sam awake, he beamed at him and asked." How are you feeling today Sam?" Sam tried to put up a brave face and smiled back saying, "absolutely wonderful Doctor. I am very grateful for all that you have done for me. "Dr Berkeley was moved at Sam's deed. All that he could say was, "You are a very brave man Sam and God will make it up to you in one way or another". While he was moving on to the next patient, Sam called back at him almost pleading, "promise me you won't tell Jason anything".

"You know I won't do that. Trust me." and walked away.

"Thank you " whispered Sam. He smiled and looked up in prayer " I hope I live up to your ideas...please give me the strength to be able to go through this..

Months later when Jason had recuperated considerably, he stopped hanging around with Sam. He felt discouraged and embarrassed to spend time with a disabled person like Sam.

Sam was lonely and disheartened ,since he didn't have any body else other than Jason to count on. Things went from bad to worse. And one day Sam died in despair. When Jason was called on his burial, he found a letter waiting for him. Dr Berkeley gave it to him with an expressionless face and said" This is for you Jason. Sam had asked me to give it to you when he was gone". 

In the letter he had said: " Dear Jason, I have kept my promise in the end to lend you my eyes if anything had happened to them. Now there is nothing more that I can ask from God, than the fact, that will see the world through my eyes. You will always be my best friend........Sam".

When he had finished reading Dr. Berkeley said " I had promised Sam to keep his sacrifice he made a secret from you. But now I wish I didn't stick it Because I don't think It was worthy it". 

All that was left for Jason while he stood there was tears of regret and memories of Sam for the rest of his life . 

Lesson of the story: No matter what If we make a friend, we should stick by him till the end. Life is meaningless without a friend.

A Good Friend..

In kindergarten your idea of a good friend was the person who let you have the red crayon when all that was left was the ugly black one. In primary school your idea of a good friend was the person who went to the bathroom with you; held your hand as you walked through the scary halls; helped you stand up to the class bully; shared their lunch with you when you forgot yours on the bus; saved a seat on the back of the bus for you; knew who you had a crush on and never understood why. In secondary school your idea of a good friend was the person who let you copy their social studies homework; went to that "cool" party with you so you wouldn't wind up being the only freshie there; did not let you lunch alone. In pre-university your idea of a good friend was the person who gave you rides in their new car; convinced your parents that you shouldn't be grounded; consoled you when you broke up with Nick or Susan; found you a date to the prom or went to the prom with you (both without dates); helped you pick a university and assured you that you would get into that university; helped you deal with your parents who were having a hard time letting you go. On the threshold of adulthood your idea of a good friend was the person who was there when you just couldn't deal with your parents; assured you that now that you and Nick or you and Susan were back together, you could make it through anything; just silently hugged you as you looked through blurry eyes at 18 years of memories; and reassured you that you would make it in university as well as you had these past 18 years; and most importantly sent you off to university knowing you were loved. Now, your idea of a good friend is still the person who gives you the better of the two choices, hold 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, and most importantly loves you! Pass this url on to those friends of the past, and those of the future...and those you have met along the way. Thank you for being a friend. No matter where we go or who we become, never forget who helped us get there. There's never a wrong time to pick up a phone or send a message telling your friends how much you miss them or how much you love them.