Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never the same.
A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.
“In life we all go through difficult times, I don’t want an answer, I need to search deep in my heart for the answer. All I need is for you to be my friend like you said you are, stand beside me and hold my hand and open your heart to understand. And I promise when you are going through a difficult time, I will stand beside you and hold your hand and my heart will be open to understand your situation, while you find your answer.” (From my dear friend Rachelle Delorey 🙂
A strong friendship doesn’t need daily conversation; doesn’t always need togetherness. As long as the friendship lives in the heart, true friends will never part.
Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; Having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them out just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away. ~ George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)
The most I can do for a friend is simply to be his friend. ~Henry D. Thoreau
When you see misery in your brother’s face, let him see mercy in yours.
Friendship is one mind in two bodies. ~Mencius
Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend. ~Albert Camus
Friends are God’s way of taking care of us.
Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don’t say.
We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere. ~Tim McGraw
A friend is someone who knows all about you— And still likes you.
What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies. ~Aristotle
Dogs have more friends because they wag their tails and not their tongues.
A friend will make you laugh, but a true friend will bring tears to your eyes.
If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you. ~Winnie the Pooh
True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost. ~Charles Caleb Colton
Without friends, you’re like a book that nobody bothers to pick up.
You can’t help someone up a hill without getting closer to the top yourself. ~General H. Norman Schwarzkopf
There is nothing better than the encouragement of a good friend. ~Katharine Butler Hathaway
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Begin the day with friendliness.
Keep friendly all day long.
Keep in your soul a friendly thought–
In your heart a friendly song.
Have in your mind a word of cheer
For all who come your way,
And they will greet you too, in turn–
And wish you a happy day.
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Friendship needs no studied phrases,
Polished face or winning wiles;
Friendship deals no lavish praises;
Friendship dons no surface smiles.
Friendship follows Nature’s diction,
Shuns the blandishments of Art,
Boldly severs truth from fiction,
Speaks the language of the heart.
Friendship favors no condition,
Scorns a narrow-minded creed,
Lovingly fills its mission,
Be it word or be it deed.
Friendship– Pure, unselfish friendship
All through life’s allotted span,
Nurtures, strengthens, widens, lengthens
Man’s relationship with man. ~Author Unknown
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New friends we surely welcome
Yet ones that mean so much
Are endeared by fond memories
Of friendship’s velvet touch.
Our lives are filled with simple joys,
And blessings without end,
And one of the greatest joys of all
Is to have, or be a friend.
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It’s the little things
that matter,
That add up in the end
To the priceless,
thrilling magic
Found only in a friend.
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A smile should always follow you
Everywhere to the end,
So keep that smile forever….
And forever you’ll keep a friend.
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Friendship is a sunny garden
Where God’s placed flowers fair,
And just the rarest kind
Will ever blossom there!
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We all have special treasures
That in memory transcend…
One of the very dearest is
An old, cherished friend.
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Just to keep in touch with someone
And to understand their need,
Just to share with them your friendship
Is a privilege indeed.
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May love and happiness
Be yours
Each moment…
Every hour.
May friendship’s warmth
And glow
Bud in your heart,
And flower.
***************
Friendship is
a blossom that
Unlike nature’s flowers
survives the winds
And winter’s chills
And blooms in
Darkest hours.
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Before the day has ended
Try to do some worthwhile thing;
Help ease another’s burden
And make a sad heart sing
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May you share your many blessings
With someone else along the way…
For thus you’ll find the beauty
And joy of each new day.
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The world calls it
“Friendship”
But I’ve known from the start
It’s a miraculous gift
Straight from God’s loving heart
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Life gives us seasons without end, but life’s nicest gift is a friend.
When you cheer someone who’s blue, it cheers your day a little, too.
It’s always sunny weather when friends are together.
When seeming most alone,
Friends are around us,
Though no word be spoken. ~Longfellow
Good Lesson in Friendship: TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING THROUGH THE DESERT. DURING SOME POINT OF THE JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN ARGUMENT AND ONE FRIEND SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE IN THE FACE. THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING, WROTE IN THE SAND: “TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.” THEY KEPT ON WALKING, UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS, WHERE THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A BATH THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING, BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM. AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM THE NEAR DROWNING, HE WROTE ON A STONE: “TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.” THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND ASKED HIM, “AFTER I HURT YOU, YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW, YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?” THE OTHER FRIEND REPLIED, “WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN IN SAND WHERE WINDS OF FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY. BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD FOR US, WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE WHERE NO WIND CAN EVER ERASE IT.”
LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.
THEY SAY IT TAKES A MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL PERSON, AN HOUR TO APPRECIATE THEM, A DAY TO LOVE THEM, BUT THEN AN ENTIRE LIFE TO FORGET THEM.
Apologizing does not always mean you are wrong and the other person is right. It just means you value your relationship more than your ego.
The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world. ― Marianne Williamson
Loving someone is giving them the power to destroy you, yet trusting them enough not to.
When you are important to another person that person will always find a way to make time for you, no excuses, no lies, no broken promises…
Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for. -Bob Marley
Things don’t go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be. — Samuel Johnson, English Author
‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.’ 1 Cor. 13:4-7
(Even friendship is a form of ‘commitment’ that shouldn’t be so easily throw away).
Commitment isn’t about how much time you spend doing things – it’s a line you cross with yourself.
Failing to make a commitment will dissipate your energies rather than focusing them.
Relationships—of all kinds—are like sand held in your hand. Held loosely, with an open hand, the sand remains where it is. The minute you close your hand and squeeze tightly to hold on, the sand trickles through your fingers. You may hold on to some of it, but most will be spilled. A relationship is like that. Held loosely, with respect and freedom for the other person, it is likely to remain intact. But hold on too tightly, too possessively, and the relationship slips away and is lost. ~Kaleel Jamieson, The Nibble Theory
“Why did you do all this for me?’ he asked. ‘I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.’ ‘You have been my friend,’ replied Charlotte. ‘That in itself is a tremendous thing.” ― E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web
The very purpose of existence is to reconcile the glowing opinion we hold of ourselves with the appalling things that other people think about us. Quentin Crisp
Reconciliation is to understand both sides; to go to one side and describe the suffering being endured by the other side, and then go to the other side and describe the suffering being endured by the first side. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
“The overall purpose of human communication is – or should be – reconciliation. It should ultimately serve to lower or remove the walls of misunderstanding which unduly separate us human beings, one from another.” ― M. Scott Peck, The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace
COMMITMENT IS SIMPLY DOING “WHAT’S REQUIRED” TO GET THE RESULT YOU INTEND.
If you are 90% committed, then the remaining 10% serves as a breeding ground for excuses and for non-performance. You can be committed to things that both empower and disempower you.
A COMMITMENT IS A DECLARATION THAT YOU SPEAK INTO EXISTENCE THAT ALTERS BEHAVIOR AND PRODUCES RESULTS.
The question to consider is not “Am I committed?” It is “What am I committed to?” There is no such thing as a life without commitment. You are already living a host of commitments, whether or not you are aware of it.
When I am unclear about my commitment, I maintain my image.
When I am clear about my commitment, I maintain my integrity.
When I am unclear about my commitment, I am dull and confused.
When I am clear about my commitment, I am intentional and direct.
When I am unclear about my commitment, I procrastinate.
When I am clear about my commitment, I act.
In life there are people that will hurt us and causes us pain, but we must learn to forgive and forget and not hold grudges….. In life there are mistakes we will make, but we must learn from our wrongs and grow from them.. In life there are people we will lose forever and can’t have back but we must learn to let go and move on.. Everything in life happens for a reason even if we don’t understand….
When someone has been mean to you, why would you want to be good to them? You wouldn’t want to. That’s what makes it hard. You do it anyway. Being good is hard. Much harder than being bad.” ― Jeanne DuPrau, The People of Sparks
To love a person is to learn the song in their heart, and to sing it to them when they have forgotten. ~Anonymous
“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
* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment.
* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.
* If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.
“A true friend is consistently willing to put your happiness before your friendship.”
Never undervalue anyone
Keep each friend safe in your heart
Because one day you may realize
and notice that you’ve lost a diamond,
while you were too busy collecting stones.
I wish you Health…
So you may enjoy each day in comfort.
I wish you the Love of friends and family…
And Peace within your heart.
I wish you the Beauty of nature…
That you may enjoy the work of God.
I wish you Wisdom to choose priorities…
For those things that really matter in life.
I wish you Generosity so you may share…
All good things that come to you.
I wish you Happiness and Joy…
And Blessings throughout the year.
I wish you the best of everything…
That you so well deserve.
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Threads of a Friendship that will never break
Thank you for the laughter,
The good times that we share.
Thanks for always listening
For trying to be fair.
Thank you for your comfort,
When things are going bad.
Thank you for your shoulder
to cry on when I’m sad.
This gift is a reminder
That all my lifetime through
I’ll be thanking heaven for
A Special Friend like you!
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Friendship Survival kit
Toothpick: pick out the good qualities in everyone, including yourself
Band Aid: to remind you to heal hurt feelings, either yours or someone else’s
Mint: you are worth a mint to your family and friends
Guardian angel: Because everyone needs one
Eraser: to remind you that everyone makes mistakes. That’s ok, we learn by our errors.
Velcro Dot: so you can keep things together
Gum: to remind you to stick to it and you can accomplish anything
Cotton Ball: to cushion the bumpy road ahead
Rock: to remember the stability of friendship
Candle: to light up friendship and share it with others
Rubber band: to remind you to be flexible. Things may not always go the way we want but it can be worked out.
Candy kiss: to remind you everyone needs a hug or a compliment every day
Pencil: to write down your day’s blessings
Tea bag: to remind you to relax daily and go over that list of blessings. It’s what makes life worth living!!
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Thank-You for Being My Friend
When things are confused
I discuss them with you
Until they make sense.
When something good happens
You are the first person I tell
So I can share my happiness.
When I don’t know what to do in a situation
I ask your opinion
And weigh it heavily with mine.
When I am lonely
I call you,
Because I never feel alone with you.
When I have a problem
I ask for your help,
Because you wiseness helps me to solve it.
When I want to have fun
I want to be with you,
Because we have such a great time together.
When I want to talk to someone
I always talk to you,
Because you understand me.
When I want the truth about something
I call you–because you are so honest.
It is essential to have you in my life,
Thank-you for being my friend.
~Susan Polis Schutz
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Please, Just Listen
When I ask you to listen to me, and you start giving advice, you have not done what I asked.
When I ask you to listen to me, and you begin to tell me why I shouldn’t feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings.
When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem, you have failed me, strange as that may seem.
Listen! All asked was that you listen, not talk or do….just hear.
Advice is cheap: Twenty cents will get you both Dear Abby and Billy Graham in the same newspaper.
And I can do for myself. I’m not helpless. Maybe discouraged and faltering, but not helpless.
When you do something for me that I can and need to do for myself, you contribute to my fear and inadequacy.
But when you accept, as a simple fact, that I do feel, no matter how irrational, then I can quit trying to convince you and get about the business of understanding what’s behind this irrational feeling.
And when that’s clear, the answers are obvious and I don’t need advice. Irrational feelings make sense when we understand what’s behind them.
So please listen and just hear me. And if you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn, and I’ll listen to you.
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Your Best Friend
If I have to be your best friend
If that’s all I can get
Then I’ll take the job with honor
I’ll be the best one yet.
I’ll offer you my shoulder
I’ll show you how I care
I’ll be there when you need me
I’m not going anywhere.
If I have to be your best friend
The one who hears you cry
Then I’ll take the job with honor
I’ll take the job with pride.
My love for you is stronger
Than you will ever know
But for you to ever love me
I will have to let you go.
You need time to find your purpose
You need time to sort your thoughts
But when the course has ended
And the race is finally run,
Remember it’s your best friend
Who has loved you from day one.
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Around The Corner
Around the corner I have a friend
In this great city that has no end,
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friends face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell,
And he rang mine.
We were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
“Just to show that I’m thinking of him.”
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner! -yet miles away.
Here’s a telegram sir – “Jim died today.”
And that’s what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.
~Lucille Laduc
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I Must Go Shopping
One of these days, I must go shopping. I am completely out of generosity and I must get some more. I also want to exchange the self-satisfaction I picked up the other day for some real humility, which they say wears better. I must look at some tolerance, and the samples of kindness, one can never have too much of that. I’ll try to match the patience I saw on a friend the other day; it looked quite becoming on her; I think it will look equally good on me. While shopping, I’ll try on that suit of charity on display. I must remember to get my sense of humor mended and keep my eyes open for some inexpensive goodness. It is surprising how quickly one’s stock is depleted. Yes, I must go shopping.
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