Until recently I didn’t really know what it meant to have a real friend. I’ve had many acquaintances and friends who I usually get to see only a few times a year. We travel a lot and it’s difficult to stay connected to people when you’re on the go. Ok, difficult for me because I get lazy and don’t write to people that as often as I probably should.
But recently I met this girl and she is different to all my other friends. I can see that she really cares and listens to what I say to her. When I tell her I need to do something or go somewhere, only because we’re chatting about our day, not to ask her for help, she is straight away thinking about how she could make things easier for me. Even when I know she’s busy enough with her own stuff, she always fits me into her schedule if I need a ride or any other help.
The other thing she does is that she always remembers things she promises to me and she keeps those promises. Just simple things, like the other day I was telling her I needed to buy a swimsuit for an upcoming trip (it was in December so it wasn’t going to be an easy task) and she immediately said she had a swimsuit at home that she ordered online but it’s too small for her, and it would probably fit me. Sure enough, the next time we met she had it with her, I tried it on and it really did fit perfectly. I could give 10 other similar examples but then this post would go on forever. Ok, there’s one more thing I have to mention that only a real friend would do. Both my husband and I were at home with a cold, and she brought us a hot meal of home made soup and meat to make us feel better.
My natural reaction to her kindness is that I also listen closely and look out for things she might need or that woud make her feel happy, but I always feel that she does more for me than I do for her. My only hope is that she doesn’t buy us any Christmas presents, as I have bought her something that I think she’ll like. 😊
I think this behaviour is natural to her and she does it because she is a nice and unique person and thanks to her I am also becoming a more attentive and better person. Maybe thanks to her I can be more attentive with my other friends in the future so my friendship with them becomes stronger and I can make them better people too.
So who is your real friend? I think real friends are those who really care about us and make us better people. The world can become a much better place for us if we surround ourselves with real friends. Don't wait for people to be attentive and helpful to you, you can start this cycle by being attentive and kind to people around you. Most of them will respond with gratitude and may become real friends to you.
Happy Christmas to you all :)