what's a friend?

googlemagoogle

jesus said: "you are my friends when you do what i say". lol. i always had to laugh about that one. good friend, man.

in WT talks and also here on the forum and wherever, people always would define a "real friend" as someone who's there when you need someone, listen when you want to vent and comfort you when you are sad.

i refer to people as my friends, when i hang around with them a lot... i'm there for them and listen to them when they got something to vent, but i myself really never had the need to talk to someone because i'm sad and i am very careful about sharing very personal thoughts.

actually i got different friends for different topics. like, i'd share a thought with this friend, but not with the other one. but i wouldn't ever talk about this topic with this friend, but with the other one.

hmm.. don't know if you get it. don't even know why i write this. but now this thread is open for discussion.

[added] strangely i'm more likely to share personal things anonymous on this board than personally with a friend.

under74

I think I understand what you're saying. I tend to do the same thing. Some friends I realize are able to understand a bit more about where I'm coming from than others. Some friends know I was raised a JW, some don't. Some know my family went through hard times, others don't. I always try to be open but sometimes if I think a person isn't going to understand then I don't share.

JH

A friend is a person that's very close to you, one that you can trust, one that you can talk to anytime, and they will be there to listen and support you. A real friend won't lie to you, or manipulate you to their advantage. A real fried will also forgive you when you make an error. Who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure.

googlemagoogle

Some friends I realize are able to understand a bit more about where I'm coming from than others.

yeah, exactly. different friends for different situations. but all to have fun with.

googlemagoogle

A real fried will also forgive you when you make an error.

also errors like lying or manipulating to ones advantage? ;-)

Ellie

Growing up as a young witness kid I had very few friends, I was very shy, a bit of a geek and didn't fit in as I was the one who didn't do birthdays and couldn't watch the same TV as everyone else and couldn't go to the Friday night disco etc etc.

So, I'm a bit of a late developer when it comes to relationships which has made me really treasure my friends.

I've had a few friendships turn sour over the years and often this has been of my own doing (I put this down to my inexperience and late development of social skills) but now I realise that being a good friend means accepting people for who they are and being forgiving of their mistakes.

trevor

A friend is someone you would still visit if they were in prison. Someone you would stand by if the whole world turned against them. Accept them as they are without judgement, “Standing closer than a brother.“

All the rest are just acquaintances.

stillajwexelder

a friend is somebody who would die for you -anybody else is an acquaintance

Rayvin

a friend is someone that is okay with an occasional call at a late hour.

lawrence

This thread is so on key, as far as timing...

My best male friend (25 years) and business partner had gone ballistic the past week and ended our friendship and business partnership, and has become a self righteous prick - wouldn't pick up calls, or return messages, then yesterday morning sent 2 emails of the most vile nature (coward to send emails), and afterward I thought about "a brother born for the day of distress" and as Stilla said, I would have died for that man (twice encountered violence with him - a 357 once, and a knife and crowbar another time); so about midnight last night I wrote this poem. He'll never see it, over is over (2nd business together he's done this to), but poetry is therapy, and therapy is catharsis, and catharsis produces satori:

I really didn't need the second email message on Monday morning

The first message found fault with 25 years of friendship, and was enough

Yet you wish to digress and recount each of my faults, each failure, each marriage

Shared with others; some chosen to broadcast via phone, email; whispers

We once believed all is forgiven, even up to the holy number - 77 times

But that is based on forgiveness, and you now have become The Judge

Brother Bob - Adios amigo; we only have to bare the crosses we're given

(8/22/05)

what's a friend?

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