Handle with CARE

Friendship is a fragile something, marked "Handle with care"--
yet as sturdy as dependability and as rugged as loyalty. It's softly tender like love, and forgiveness, and hope-- yet as hard as truth and as firm as faith. Friendship is believing, when all others doubt. It's remembering, when all others have forgotten.
It's rejoicing in another's good fortune, weeping for another's bad luck. It's the man on the road to Jericho who goes where another is-- and supplies what is needed, whether it's a word of encouragement or praise, or an invitation to come take a walk. Somehow, a friend is intuitive and can sense a longing, and can come up with the right prescription to heal a headache, or comfort a hurt heart.
A friend is someone whose spirit is nourished by the identical food that feeds our own; someone with whom we can find companionship even in silence, or with whom we can share differing convictions in tolerant understanding. Because a friend looks upon you with affection and considers you something special, you put forth a mighty effort to live up to the ideal.
You are better just because you have a friend!