True Friends

In this day and age, it seems so much harder to know who your real friends are and who your friends/acquaintances are. What defines a true friend? Do they have to have mutual true friendship, or can one be less of a friend to the other and still maintain that elevated bond?

Something I found...

A good friend will tell you what you want to hear.
A true friend will always tell the truth.

A good friend seeks to talk with you about your problems.
A true friend seeks to help you with your problems.

A good friend will be there for you all through school.
A true friend will be there till the day you die.

A good friend will bail you out of prison.
A true friend will be sitting next to you saying "damn that was fun!"

A good friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.
A true friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean.

A good friend hates it when you call after they've gone to bed.
A true friend asks you why you took so long to call.

A good friend wonders about your romantic history.
A true friend could blackmail you with it.

A good friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.
A true friend calls you after you had a fight.

A good friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
A true friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself.

A good friend has never seen you cry.
A true friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.

A good friend doesn't know your parents' first names.
A true friend has their phone numbers in his address book.

A good friend expects you to always be there for them.
A true friend expects to always be there for you.

A good friend is someone you enjoy hanging out with.
A [true] friend is someone you need. (Neil Diamond, Heartlight)

So many people say that family is not chosen, but friends are. We can be more selective of the people who we decide to trust and let ourselves open to. But, what about those selfish people? What about the ones who think only about themselves, who don't bother to help others if it doesn't have any benefit to them? Can you maintain a real friendship with them, or are they someone you can only just hang out with? A true friend to me is someone who doesn't always have to be present, but is always there. If you are having an absolute crappy day they will find the time to get you through it even if they are booked up to their head. A true friend will smack you for sleeping with your ex (yet again) and then hug you while calling you an idiot, telling you to call them when you crash and burn. A true friend knows your faults and likes you regardless. A true friend will always have faith in you, and will always be there to help you back up. A true friend borrows your shit (and you borrow theirs) and forgets whose it was. A true friend will not desert you when a group leaves you behind. They will drive the 2 hours to the place you got stranded and take you home.

We are blessed if we have one person to call a true friend. We are blessed to have a friend who never gives up on us or takes us for granted. We are even more blessed if we have a few. To not treasure those closest to you and nurture those bonds is to prevent a flower from blooming.