How do you know a friend is a friend?

 How do you know a friend is a friend? If you really think about it, it's a tough question that leads you to ask other questions like :

http://images.all-free-download.com/images/graphicthumb
/friends_children_sit_221436.jpg

What is a friend?

How do I know someone is a good or bad friend to me?

Am I a good friend?

Why do some friendships last forever and why do some die painful deaths?

Why can't I make good friends?

Why don't people want to be friends with me?

Why do frenemies exist? Why am I plagued by them?

I could go on, but you get the gist.

Yet, on another level, it's a really simple question, isn't it? 
And the simple answer is - A friendship is a relationship based on mutual trust and reciprocation. A friend is someone who :

1) can be trusted to tell the truth and look out for your best interests, 

2) wants to spend time with you.

3) brings out the best in you.

4) stays as loyal to you as you are to them, no matter what happens.

5) feels as grateful to have you in their life as you feel to have them in yours.

If you have a friend with a five star rating (i.e. he or she scores on every one of those points), hold on to them for dear life. He or she is probably about as rare as hen's teeth (and given that birds generally do not have teeth, unless you count the Greylag Goose and some other surprisingly toothy birds - who'd have guessed Nature could be that weird?- that's pretty darn rare.)

A healthy friendship exists when these behaviours are consistently reciprocated. 

But friendships also need forgiveness and understanding. Changes in life situations sometimes means that one friend might not be able to reciprocate as much as the other in these areas during certain periods of their life. 

So, how do we go about building a new friendship?

I shall explore that in my next post, fellow Dingbatians!

Until then, may your sonar never falter and your iconic hearts remain true!

What kind of friend are you to others? 
Are others that way to you too? Why or Why not?
I'd be interested in hearing your answers and opinions. :)

Ever yours,

Dingbat2

P.S. Scoot over to this site and educate 

yourself on toothy birds. 

Talk about weird and wonderful! :)

http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2010/09/28/brush-your-beak-10-amazing-birds-with-teeth/

Geese have teeth?

(images via: Digital Nature Photography and Mike Milo’s Journal)