by Holly Rogers

Created on: March 04, 2008

Friendship comes in many different forms. Each unique friendship will vary from each other friendship, with different expectations and different qualities defining them. There is no single way to describe friendship, as there is no single form of friendship.

As we move through life, we form new friendships with so many different people. Each of these friendships serves a different purpose in our lives. Some of these friendships may be lifelong. Others may just be temporary, fitting in only with that stage of your life. Not all friendships are intended to be lifelong. Some friendships are merely for convenience, such as a friendship formed over a period of a couple of days when your attendance is required somewhere where you know no one. These type of friendships are never intended to be lasting. But that is not to say you do not form some type of special bond with that person over that short space of time.

Then there are those friendships you do form from an early age, that take you right through to the end, or if not that long, at least for a period of many years. These friendships are special, as they are the ones you turn to when a significant event happens in your life. They are the ones who know you so well that you never have to explain yourself. You can be yourself entirely, without having to act or pretend you are someone different. These friendships are the ones we need when we do not want to act. We just want to be comfortable in our own skin.

Some friendships are more like families. They are the ones we love so much, who have been there for us through thick and thin. They are the friends who you would do anything for and they would do the same. These friendships can be defined by everlasting, unconditional love and support.

Then there are the friendships we form with significant others. These friendships are perhaps stronger than any other, formed from a love and passion deep within. These friendships give us something we cannot get from other type of friends, but they also cannot give us everything those other people can give either.

Overall, a friendship is a bond that forms between two people, that provides us with support sometimes, or fun at other times. It is a relationship that allows you to be a certain part of yourself, and it allows you to be a different person within each separate friendship. A friendship helps shape us and it gives us greater meaning in our individual lives. A friendship teaches us to show empathy and kindness to others. It teaches us love and attachment. It allows us to grow through someone else's eyes and most of all, it helps complete us.

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