Our expectation for a friend whom we classify as best friend is high. We expect our best friend to stand by our side, comes what may. We expect our best friend to answer our calls in the middle of the night, and to lend a shoulder for us to cry. We expect our best friend to stay by our side when we suffer grievances or death of family member.

We expect our best friend to know how we feel, and why we feel like this. We expect our best friend to understand our feelings, even if he or she does not share the same feelings

We expect our best friend to share in our laughter and joy. We expect our best friend to share in our success, without envious. We expect our best friend to pull us out of the financial destruction by lending us his or her hard-earned money.

We expect our best friend to have time for us, to give us priority over other not so important engagements. We expect our best friend to point to us all our failings, without hurting our feelings.

We expect our best friend to protect our reputations, and to defend us in front of others. We expect a lot of our best friend. We seldom stop to think why are we so demanding of our best friend. We practically demand the kind of worship that God demands of us!

What makes a best friend? Each of us has different expectation. We reasonably expect more of our best friend, than casual acquaintance. However, that does not mean that we can demand our best friend to give up his or her life for us.

We cannot even expect our best friend to give up too much of his or her precious time for us. Even when we are bedridden in hospital, we cannot expect our best friend to visit us every day. Our best friend has other commitments and obligations in life.

We should be thankful that we have a person whom we address as our best friend. Many people in the world do not.

We should be thankful that there is a person who loves us for who we are, and not what we have. We should be thankful that, that person is our best friend.

It is very easy for us to list what we expect of our best friend, it is difficult for us to be the kind of friend to our best friend. Whatever we expect of our best friend, we jolly well make sure that we can meet the requirement.

If we cannot run into the burning house to rescue our best friend, we cannot expect our best friend to do the same for us.

If we do not want to part with our hard-earned money to save our best friend from financial embarrassment, we should not expect our best friend to meet this expectation.

Only when our best friend, and us can agree to the terms and conditions of friendship, then our friendship can last forever.

A best friend is a gift. Do enjoy the company and privilege of calling someone, a best friend. Bear in mind, that many people in the world do not have anyone to call as friend, much less a best friend.

Learn more about this author, Siew Cheng Hoe.
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