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We will meet hundreds of people during our lifetimes but only a handful of them will become true friends. A true friend is somebody who we can trust completely, who loves us despite all our flaws and is always there for us no matter what. Below is a list of qualities which I think all good friends should have.

LOYAL

Loyalty is very hard to come by. A real friend should be there for you through the bad times as well as the good and not gossip or complain about you behind your back to others.

SUPPORTIVE

Whatever decisions we make in life it's always nice to have someone supporting us in them. Whether it's a new job, a new relationship or going back to school a real friend will be there to encourage you.

HONEST

A friend shouldn't be afraid to be honest with you. This could be over something minor such as telling you an outfit doesn't suit you to more serious issues. It takes a lot of courage to be completely honest with someone. You may not like what they have to say but you should realise that they are saying it because they care.

GOOD LISTENER

One job which a friend takes on a lot is the role of listener. If you have a problem, your friend should not only make you feel like you can tell them anything but sit there and listen to what you have to say. Sometimes you don't need advice, you just need to sound off to somebody about whatever is bothering you. A true friend will let you do this.

TRUSTWORTHY

You need to be able to tell your friend things in confidence and know that they aren't going to repeat them. Secrets are called that for a reason and your friend should be trustworthy enough to keep them to themselves.

CARING

It goes without saying that your friend should care about you. If you are feeling down or stressed a friend should want to know the reason why and once they do will make it their job to make you feel better.

FUN

We all have different ideas of what fun is but a good friend should be one that you enjoy spending time with. Whatever you choose to do together whether it's the cinema, shopping or drinking it should be a fun experience for you both. What's the point in having a friend whose company bores you?

ACCEPTING

Nobody's perfect and a real friend will accept and love you for who you are and overlook any flaws. They won't try and change you into something you are not and will accept any differences the two of you have.

RELIABLE

You should be able to rely on your friend. If you ask your friend to do something for you or meet you at a particular time and place they should make every effort to do so or let you know if it's not possible.

FORGIVING

We all make mistakes and it's important that your friend is able to realise this and can forgive you when it happens. It's not worth losing a great friend over a minor argument or incident. A true friend will accept your apology and allow you both to move on.

If you have a friend or even more than one who meets all the above criteria then think yourself very lucky and I hope that you are just as great a friend in return!

Learn more about this author, Rachel Wood.
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