What is a friend?

People can spend their whole lives looking for true, loyal, compatible friends. I must admit, I've spent years looking for good ones too. But after much prayer and cutting people off, I worked along with my prayers and SEARCHED for good friends.
And you know what, I found them. Some absolutely great people who have come to be like sisters and family members to me!

So what are the characteristics of a true friend?
Well I am not claiming to be the wisest person in the world, but I will tell you what I have found to be the characteristics to look for in a good friend.

1) Honesty
There is nothing worse than having a dishonest person around you. A dishonest person cannot be trusted. It doesn't even matter if they are lying to you or not. If your friend continually lies to family and other friends, even if just- what some consider- a "little white lie", what makes you think they don't tell you "little white lies" all the time without you knowing it?

2) Dependability
The relationship, as in most relationships, must have reciprosity. I have lost many friends, and grown apart from many friends, who always expect something from me, but aren't there when I need them.

3) Loyalty
This is not to say that you must be clingy and you should be the only person in your friend's life. Far from it! When I say loyalty, I think mostly of loyalty in actions and speech. A loyal friend would never gossip about you or talk about you behind your back. (If one of your friends gossips to you about other people they consider as acquaintances, what makes you think that they don't tell your business when your name comes up in conversation? Just saying. Be observant.)

If you take time to look for a good friend, believe me, you will find one.