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What is true friendship?

One of my friends sent me a short message, saying that true friends are one soul in two bodies, which moves me very much. It makes me think what true friendship is.

Nowadays, the word friendship has been used so frequently that it has lost its meaning. Some jokingly or seriously put it that friends are made to be taken advantage of, which makes me very sad. True friendship doesn’t mean that when you need your friend’s help, you will treat him to dinner, and when you have to protect yourself, you will put your friends in a difficult situation. On the contrary, true friendship is the communication of the hearts and understanding of the souls. True friendship is like water, which is tasteless but is essential to our body. Compared with decent wine, water is insipid in taste, but is of great help to satisfy our thirsty. True friends don’t need to be with each other everyday, but are connected in heart every minute whatever the distance is.

True friendship is like medicine, though tasted bitter, killing your illness. True friends give you some proposals in point even if they know you would not take. They criticize you when others are praising you, not because of envy but worrying that you may lose your cool head.

True friendship has nothing to do with fame, power, or possessions. True friends would often watch silently from afar when you are influential, but come to you whenever you need their help. They care not what you are, but who you are. You’re not his stepping-stone to success, but are his crutch to live through difficulties. When you are happy, you are likely to forget him, but when you are in trouble, he is the first one you will turn to for help.

True friends make you complete. Many persons company you through your life course, your parents, your lover, and your children, who take care of you and make your life happy. However, you still need someone who understands your thoughts and souls. Without them, you are likely to feel deserted in spirit and lost yourself. Lonely as you are, you are spiritually unhealthy.

True friends stay in your heart, rather than at your side; they know you more than yourself, and try to better you; they care you as much as themselves, but never let you know. They cherish you, for they know without you they are struggling alone in the desert. On your side, you will feel the same. Once you have found such a true friend, do treasure him. If your true friend disappears, how can you make the sound of your heart understood?