I have a lot of friends.
Since I was born until now, new friends keep coming into my life. It is easy to
find a friend but it is not easy to find a best friend. I can say that it is
hard to find a good friend instead a good friend is someone can you rely on
him/her.
Why good friends are so
important
A lot of research has
been done looking into the benefits of friendship, and the research has found
exactly what you might expect. It turns out that the better quality
relationships you have; the more likely you are to be happy. Therefore it’s
good for your happiness to be a great friend to someone and to have a group of
good friends supporting you. But it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what makes
a good friend.
Friends will come and
go in your life, but more important than how long a friendship lasts, is that a
good friend will love you for who you are. The way you can tell the sign of a
good friend is by looking at the actions they take –big and small – that show
they care.
Some common signs of a good friend include
·
someone who will
support you no matter what
·
someone you can trust
and who won’t judge you
·
someone who won’t put
you down or deliberately hurt your feelings
·
someone who is kind
and has respect for you
·
someone who will love
you because they choose to, not because they feel like they should
·
someone whose company
you enjoy
·
showing loyalty
·
being trustworthy and
willing to tell you the truth, even when it’s hard
·
someone who can laugh
when you do
·
someone who is willing
to stick around when things get tough
·
someone who makes you
smile
·
someone who is there
to listen
·
someone who will cry
when you cry.
If
you want to do all or many of the things listed above for someone you care
about, you’re already a good friend. It’s also common though, to not know
exactly what to do or say to be there for someone. Some practical things you
can do to be there for a friend include:
Listen. Listening is so important not to underestimate, but it can be
hard to do. The best way to listen is to try and understand the situation from
your friends’ point of view. If you aim to do this, you’ll naturally find
yourself beginning to ask the right sort of questions and they will appreciate
having someone who really cares about how they feel and what they’re going
through. You don’t have to have all the answers, and you shouldn’t assume your
friend wants advice – they might just want to talk so that they can work out
what they’re going to do themselves.
Ask them what they need. If you’re worried about someone and you want to be there
for them, just ask them what they need- that way you know what they find
helpful during tough times, and you can be there in a way that’s most useful to
them.
Get physical. Smiles and hugs are a great way to show friends that they’re not
alone, that you’re there for them, and that they are important.
Keep in touch. Even if you guys aren’t nearby each other, making an effort to
keep in touch through facebook, emails, texts and calls will show your friend
you are there for them.
Tell them how you feel. You don’t have to make a big deal of it all the time but
sometimes there are moments where letting someone know that they’re important
to you through something you say, can make a big difference to how someone is
feeling.
Get the facts. If your friend has a medical condition, or a mental health
issue, a good way to offer support is to learn about what they’ve been
diagnosed with. Taking an interest in what they’re going through shows that you
care, and that you’re planning to stick around no matter what’s going on.
Be willing to make a tough call. If you think the
safety of your friend is at risk, you might need to act without their consent
and get help (see the sidebar for where you can seek help). It can be a hard
choice particularly when you’re worried about their reaction, but remember that
you are acting because you care and you don’t want them to be hurt.