A Good Friend

     We all meet thousands of people in our lives.  Most of these people disappear unnoticed.  Some become acquaintances, and a few of these become our friends.  Very few continue to grow closer to us, so that we call them good friends.  What are the qualities that these select few share?  Good friends share our interests and hobbies; they enjoy spending time with us; and they are always willing to help us when we have problems.
     First, on a practical basis, good friends must have things in common with us, so that we can share interests and hobbies.  If you love to dance, your good friends will likely also love to dance.  Perhaps you study a foreign language.  A good friend may just study with you.  Of course, you don't need to share every interest with your good friends; but without a common passion, you will not develop that level of friendship that comes when two people have a similar hobby.
     Next, goodfriends must love to spend time together.  Consider the last paragraph, concerning common pasttimes.  Obviously, at any given time and place there will be hundreds of people following this same tinterest.  But to be good friends, two people must communicate so well and delight in each other's company so much that each experiences more pleasure when the other  is there.  For example, it will be more fun to dance if your good friend is with you at the club.
     Finally, and most importantly, good friends must support you when your life is not all rainbows and unicorns.  We all have periods in our lives when our problems seem enormous.  Good friends are not afraid of us when we are sad, or angry, or even desperate.  Instead, they take the time to help us.  You never need to ask a good friend for help when you are in trouble; they always seem to know, and they are there to give you their help.
     Maybe the best way we can make and keep more good friends is to practice these three wualities ourselves.  If you want to have a good friend, then be a good friend.  Friendship is not a passive condition that results when people spend time together.  Rather, it is the result of an active desire to transform a routine acquaintance into the kind of lifelong friendship that makes both lives better.