What is your definition of a friend?

[Harkoliar]

characteristics for me as a best friend is loyalty honest and trust.. that is why i have so few.. still i still have lots of freinds but they are not best friends.

[Gangrell]

Hmm, friends aren't hard to find where I'm from. In fact, everyone is pretty much buddy-buddy with each other, that's why if there's a fight at my school, it'd be a rare thing to see. Unlike the city next to me who's school has so many fights, they have to send in a SWAT Team to settle things down.

[Masklinn]

A friend is someone who cares about you.
Simple as that.

[Kakero]

There is a chinese saying, " When you laugh, your friends laugh with you. When you cry, you cry alone. "

[Irongrinder]

Most of it has already been said, but the best one is probably Masklin's. A friend is someone who cares about you, because I have also seen friends of others who helped them only because they knew they had to because of being friends and not because they wanted to.

[Epona]

You don't realise who your real friends are til you go through a bit of a bad patch in your life - your friends are the ones who stick by you and help you out, even if it's just moral support. The ones who run a mile are not friends!

[Cloudbringer]

I like Masklinn and Epona's replies alot.

I think there are acquaintances (often called 'friends') who we know and can spend a little time talking with or sharing a story with but who aren't close,personal friends.

Then there are those who are loyal, care about you and stand by you in a rough time or a good one. People who feel good when you do and bad when you do, simply because they care for you. For me, I remember when my best friend's father was dying. She'd called me as I was leaving my office for the day and said she had to get up to see him, the nurse had called and it was bad. She was going to drive across two states in a blizzard to get to the hospital in time to say goodbye. I said, "pack your bag, I'll be right there and I'm driving you. There's no way you are in any condition to drive, bad weather or not." I called my boss, told him my best friend (who I consider family in every way but blood relation) needed me and I would be gone for a few days but would call in. He said ok, but if he hadn't, I'd have taken leave without pay and gone anyway. I drove through a major blizzard and got her there in time. I'm really pleased about that, as it meant the world to her to say goodbye to him in person.

On the other side- a close friend of mine dropped everything and drove out across two states and part of another when I was having a personal family crisis several years ago. She took a vacation day to drive out and be with me for a long weekend. She did the same to attend the funeral (and help me out with the food for the mourners who came by) for the friend I mentioned above.

That's what I think of as friendship- those same people are always thrilled for and with me if something good happens too. I value that and them immensely. [img]smile.gif[/img]

I've a few good online friends as well. People who's trust and support are wonderful to have and for whom I make time, even if busy or tired, when they need to talk. It's hard to make 'close' friends on the internet but when you do, it's a pretty nifty thing.

Allin all, I'd have to say that I think most people have a lot of acquaintances and a few good friends. But that's ok by me, as it makes the friends all the more special.

[harleyquinn]

Originally posted by Epona: You don't realise who your real friends are til you go through a bit of a bad patch in your life - your friends are the ones who stick by you and help you out, even if it's just moral support. The ones who run a mile are not friends!

I can agree with this, Epona! I had to learn the hard way that someone I thought was my best friend was not a good friend at all. When I left an abusive relationship, I went through a lot of emotions from anger to guilt for having stayed so long, to embarassment to pretty much every other emotion. He put up with me for about 2 weeks and then told me that I was a pain and that all I did was talk about how great it was that I left the jerk and brag about everything else (have no idea what I could have been bragging about, at that time I had no car, no job and no significant other). Anyway, haven't talked to that so called friend in 3 years and don't plan on ever doing so again, he proved to be a fair weather friend, and I am not so hurting for friends that I need those.
A friend, is also someone who will forgive you when you get carried away in a new romance. My best friend has a bad habit of when she gets in a new relationship of "disappearing". At least she recognizes this, which is why she's purposely not dating right now.

[J_E_G]

A good friend is someone who will help you hide the bodies

[Irongrinder]

Originally posted by J_E_G: A good friend is someone who will help you hide the bodies

Lol, now there's an excellent discription!