by Sandra Douglas

Created on: March 05, 2008

"He who loses money, loses much; he who loses a friend, loses much more; he who loses faith, loses all." Eleanor Roosevelt

The most popular sayings about friendship remind us to be honest and loyal, to value our friends, and be kind and helpful to them. They remind us just how valuable friendships are to our lives. We listen to and read the words of others and pull out those quotes which have special meaning to us about friendship. We want to feel that connection to another person that only the term "friend" can provide.

Friendship sets us apart from the animals. Epicurus (341 270 BC) gave friendship a high place in his plan for the good life, calling friendship one of life's necessities. He was known to be a warm and loyal friend, though dissenters were not tolerated. "Only beasts dine alone." We want to separate ourselves from the animals as we invite others into our hearts.

"The only way to have a friend is to be one." Robert Louis Stevenson.

Finding and keeping a true friend today is challenging, especially in this age of rapid-fire technology. We are under constant barrage by e-mail, cell phones, and instant messaging. Messages cannot be any briefer than the staccato letters that flicker across the screen of my cell phone. There is no fluidity in reading the abbreviated language of a text message. I read it as if I were still in kindergarten, each word deciphered individually, never actually connecting with the word before or after it to make a complete sentence, although somehow at the end a message is communicated.

The message is received well enough, but what is missing are all the subtle nuances of language, the sharing of jokes, the niceties and compliments, the commonalities that bind us together in the beginnings of friendship. In our need to communicate in brevity, we have given up the parts of communication that did nothing more than leave us with a good feeling.

"A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely." Pam Brown

Friendships require tending and nurturing, an investment that some choose to forgo in their busy lives. In our mobile society, people move across the country for job opportunities, leaving family and friends behind. Developing new friendships is an important part of the transition; how can one combat the stress of moving without the support of friends.

"I get by with a little help

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