It is my opinion, that God sends us the right people at the right time. Sometimes they are right for us at that time. If we have the sense we should be grateful.
Sometimes we are sent to them. Then we may choose to activate our patience, time , tough love, or wallet.
If the stars are all aligned correctly, both may occur in a mutually beneficial friendship.
I have moved towns and states quite a few times, so had to become reasonably good at making friends. I think being interested in the other person is the key.
I don't remember my friends much before year 6. The friend I had that year was the fastest runner and best at sport. I was a bookish nerd, but she was the most popular in class because of being athletic. After that year we moved a long way away to the big city. She came to stay with us for a holiday (vacation) and we had fun, but too soon it was over and I never saw her again.
Another significant friend lived next door to me in another big city. When my first hubby was sick, and dying, she was a fantastic support. Her Lebanese culture says to look after the bereaved for 40 days after the death. My child and I could have an evening meal in there any night we wanted, or every night, but we didn't do that. We took dessert. She and her family were fantastic.
Some of my closest friends right now are online friends. We "talk" often, or every day. Those friends help me get through my life, I am grateful for them all.
" I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend. " Thomas Jefferson
My favourite episode ever, of "Friends" TV sitcom is the English Trifle one:
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" Life has no blessing like a prudent friend. ". Euripides
" As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. " King Solomon
"Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses. " Ann Landers
"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. " Albert Schweitzer
"The bond between friends cannot be broken by chance; no interval of time or space can destroy it. Not even death itself can part true friends. "
Do you have problems making friends? Advice I often give people is to join a club or class in a subject you enjoy. This could be photography, book club, woodwork, cooking, whatever you like or have always wanted to do. Arrive to the sessions early and don't leave early. Take time to talk to people but mostly listen, and memorise what they tell you about themselves. So next time you can ask them a relevant question. Here's a helpful link
