Lately I am getting confused with the word ‘friend’. I believe it’s a very loosely used word. I am not talking about Facebook friends :). How can you define friendship? I googled to find a definition that reflects my thoughts.
“A true friend is someone who sticks by you when you are down and celebrates with you when you are up. It is someone who understands you and appreciates the person you are.” I like the second part a lot. Being able to be what you are without being judged - that's a true friend to me.
But then do we have to stick with the word ‘friend’ for everyone who is not your enemy? So what are different types of friends? There are many types of relationships. I found these 3 in my search:
- Situational friends. You see each other regularly, have fun together, even share occasional disappointments. When you move or something changes, you don't stay in touch. Ex. : activity and location based - work, gym, clubs, etc.
- Casual friends. Meet each other once in a while, go out for lunch and dinner, catch up on the news/gossip. You like each other, appreciate the company. But are not best friends.
- Close friends. They understand the real you, help when you're in trouble and are people you can rely on. They will not betray you, they let you in their lives and care about you deeply. Such people don't come along often and such relationships are to be cherished.
Well, I don't know about these 3 categories, but I would like to take it easy and enjoy the friendship in whatever form it comes, than wait for a bad day to come and see if they are real friends or not :). Why fret :).
On that note, I must say, I am lucky to have quite a few close friends and I really cherish their presence in my life.
