Many times, our first taste at what friendship looks like comes from our family. When we’re young and not in school, we don’t really have too many opportunities to make friends. If you happen to live in a neighborhood with a bunch of kids then they could become your pals, but if you’re not lucky enough to have that happen, then you probably experienced your first bonds of friendship with your family. If you had a sister(s) and/or brother(s) then the person or people who raised you emphasized the importance of keeping your siblings as friends. If you had cousins that were your age and that lived by you then the same thing rang true. You learned to have each other’s backs and to be there for each other when the other person needed it most.

And then when you became of school age, you took these lessons and carried them with you when it was time for you to make friends with your new classmates. You didn’t have your parents or guardians there telling you who to be friends with like you did when they told you that you should be friends with your siblings and cousins, so you had to use your own judgment when it came to making them. And if you picked wisely then you ended up with friends who had the same kind of loyalty that you had with your family friends.

As you continued on with your schooling, you used these same values as you looked for other friendships. And the same thing went for when you did other activities. You were able to make friends in sports, clubs, and eventually at work as an adult. And you did this because you realized how important it was to have people in your corner that you could count on.

Friends can’t be there 24/7. Just think about your own life. You have so many things to do on a daily basis that there is no way that you would be able to devote 100 percent of your time to your friends. That would be asking a lot, and it would be virtually impossible for anyone to do. What does matter, however, is that you devote as much time to your friends as you can allow. Be there for them when they need it the most. If you can’t go over to your bestie’s house to watch the latest episode of Scandal with her because you’re taking care of your sick grandparent, that’s understandable. But when you say that you can’t come over to comfort your friend after she just lost her grandparent because you’re too busy watching Scandal, that’s less understandable. If you make an effort to be there for your friends’ big moments then, if they truly value your friendship, they are bound to do the same thing for you during the important moments in your life.

Positive thinker, everyone needs at least one good friend in their life that they can turn to. It’s okay to have a lot of friends, but it’s also important tor realize that all of these people aren’t your true friends. Buddies, pals, and acquaintances may be there for you when it’s convenient for them or when you invite them to do something fun, but the friends that truly matter are going to be there during more than just the good times. Some of us are lucky enough to have these true kinds of friendships for our entire lives. I know that I have a handful of friends that I’ve had since childhood that I know I can count on. They may not always be there all of the time, but they make sure that they’re there when I need them the most, and I return the favor to them.

If you haven’t been lucky enough to meet someone like this then don’t worry because that person can still come around. As long as you’re living, you can still have the opportunity to meet that special friend that you will be able to count on.

Friendships are important positive thinker, so if you have someone in your life that you can call a friend then make sure to hold on tight to that person!