Everyone needs a friend because you don’t want to feel lonely and a friend can help you in good and bad times. You make friends from childhood but you still don’t know if they are true friends. A true friend needs more capacities than someone to have fun with and to alleviate your loneliness. It is often when you are in trouble that you discover who your true friends are and it is also essential you show how important your true friend is for you.

Here are some signs how you know if your friend is a true friend:

*Always honest

Honesty is essential to keep every relationship alive. A true friend is valuable in everyone’s life and he/she can only be your true friend if he/she tells always the truth. It may be hard in some circumstances but lying can destroy your friendship. It is essential your friend tells the correct information and never misrepresent some facts. It may happen your spouse was talking to someone of the opposite sex and your friend says to you “your spouse is cheating”. A true friend will never say such things because fidelity is the most important quality between spouses.

*Always there for you

There are always periods in your life when you have problems or you experience difficulties. A true friend is always there for you and listens to your problems and gives you advice. It may not also be possible to offer a solution for your problem but the fact your friend made time to listen is a sign he/she cares for you. Your friend is not a true friend if he/she can never make time for you if you are in trouble. You also need to be reasonable and accept that your friend has also other obligations and it may happen he/she can’t listen immediately to your problems. A true friend will always listen, sometimes with some delay but a true friend is always there for you.

*Always trustworthy

A true friend will always keep confidential information between you and your friend. He/she will never tell these facts to someone else, even not to his/her spouse or other friends. Trustworthiness is an important quality to keep a friendship alive and a true friend will never break this rule. It is essential for a lasting bond of true friendship.

*Always respectful

A true friend will always respect your opinion. People have different opinions and it is not different between you and your friend. A true friend will always respect your opinion, no matter if he agrees or not. Your friend may disagree but never state that he/she is correct. Respect is a necessity for a lasting friendship, even if your friend has another point of view of certain facts.

*Always forgiving and understanding

There are periods in every relationship when you have to deal with conflicts. It is possible some problems arise between you and your friend. Your true friend will always be forgiving and understanding, even it wasn’t his/her fault. We are all different people and we all make mistakes. A true friend is always forgiving and understanding because he/she doesn’t want to take the risk to lose his/her best friend.

If you discover all these signs in the qualities of your friend, he/she may be called a true friend. A true friend is valuable in everybody’s life and will contribute to your happiness. There is either a commitment between both of you to have a lasting true friendship. It may be important to remember the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson “The only way to have a friend is to be one” and Len Wein “A true friend is someone who is there for you when he’d rather be anywhere else. These two wise sayings are applicable to all true friends and necessary to call you and your friend “true friends”.