A friend is someone ...

… to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away;

… whom you can confide the secret you want no other living soul to know yet will never pry into your heart to discover whether there are any more secrets to reveal;

… who can extend a helping hand and lighten your load without expecting any other reward. Who gives all he can whenever he can without ever keeping a record of what he has given;

… who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked;

… whom you spontaneously turn to for help when you are in trouble, and who is the first to hear the good news when you have good fortune;

… who admires you or your strong points but loves you in spite of your weak points;

… who can feel and show satisfaction when you please him but without resentment when you disappoint him;

… who will tell you the truth when it hurts and to whom you can tell the truth without his taking offence;

… who knows your joy, your sorrows and tears. Someone who cares and shares your world throughout the sad-sweet years;

… who brings us laughter, even in our tears, whose memories make us smile across the miles and though the years;

… who knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts who you have become and still gently invites you to grow;

… who believes in you when faith is running low, and whose gentle words of wisdom help you choose which way to go;

… who comforts us when we feel blue, whose special warmth and happy smile makes us feel that life is worthwhile;

… who can laugh at your foibles without despising you for having them;

… who is there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else;

… who walks into our world, when the rest of the world walks out on us;

… who reaches for your hand and touches your heart;

… we turn to when our spirits need a lift;