In Praise of Friendship

At the writers’ conference last weekend, I heard many writers talk about the friends and family that supported them as they pursued their writing dreams—and sometimes those dreams took ten or twenty years before succeeding.

When any of us pursues a dream, we need friends. Friends that encourage us and believe in us. Friends who comfort us in our disappointments and spur us on to try again. But also friends who understand our eccentricities and get why we dream the dreams we dream.

We should never take our friends for granted, nor should we neglect being a friend to others. We never know when we will be the one to give another the very word of encouragement they needed to get through a rough day.

Here’s to the priceless value of friendship!

Some thoughts on friendship to start your week:

“Words are easy, like the wind;
Faithful friends are hard to find.”
― William Shakespeare

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art…. It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.” ― C.S. Lewis

“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

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” ― Anaïs Nin

“The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character. These are the qualities that define us as human beings, and propel us, on occasion, to greatness.” ― R.J. Palacio

“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.” ― Bernard Meltzer

“A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.” ― Jim Morrison

“I’ve heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led to those who help us most to grow
If we let them and we help them in return.”
― Stephen Schwartz

“Tis the privilege of friendship to talk nonsense, and to have her nonsense respected.” ― Charles Lamb

“Close friends are truly life’s treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. With gentle honesty, they are there to guide and support us, to share our laughter and our tears. Their presence reminds us that we are never really alone.” ― Vincent van Gogh

“Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.” ― Kahlil Gibran

“The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to reveal to him, his own.” ― Benjamin Disraeli