~~Friends Like You~~

~~The ABC's of Frienship~~

A Friend:

A--ccepts you as you are

B--elieves in "you"

C--alls you just to say "hi"

D--oesn't give up on you

E--nvisions the whole of you(even the unfinished parts)

F--orgives your mistakes

G--ives unconditionally

H--elps you

I--nvites you over

J--ust "be" with you

K--eeps you close at heart

L--oves you for who you are

M--akes a difference in your life

N--ever judges

O--ffers support

P--icks you up

Q--uiets your fears

R--aises your spirits

S--ays nice things about you

T--ells you the truth when you need to hear it

U--nderstands you

V--alues you

W--alks beside you

X--plains things you don't understand

Y--ells when you won't listen and

Z--aps you back to reality.

~~Friendship~~

Online Friend I have never seen you before,

But I know you are really there.

I click you into reality,

Like magic in the air.

Your voice is like an angel,

Though I really do not hear.

Your hug as warm as any,

Of the loved one I hold dear.

You are always there for comfort,

Or a word of cheer.

Though you are very far away,

I always have you near.

You are a very special friend,

Like none I have ever known.

As long as you are in Cyberspace,

I will never be alone.

~~Author Unknown~~

~~Frindship Dying~~

Friendships online are often fleeting,

Made and lost without even once meeting.

How many friends from online have I lost?

I haven't kept count nor figured the cost.

Some depart, spouting bluster and rage,

Others as quietly as turning a page.

Many return though I couldn't say when,

While the rest are never heard from again.

For the loss of some, the fault is my own,

An unkind word spoken and I'm left alone.

SOme friends turn away for no reason at all,

I'm puzzled and hurt when they shun my call.

Scores of friends are forever lost to me,

Since the systems we called cease to be.

And more than once, I've had friends die,

I can't forget them; I don't even try.

So take a moment during your time online,

And be aware, though there's no outward sign.

The sound that you hear, that solitary crying,

Might well be the sound of friendships dying.

Friendship to me is being there when a friend needs you,to cry with them when they are crying, to smile with them when thay are smiling, to laugh with them when they are laughing..To give to them unconditionally the love of a true friend...Giving of yourself without selfishness.. Treating people with the love , respect and kindness that you would expect to receive back..One of the most precious things in life is the love of a friend. For without friendship, we would be sad and lonely people...Talk to a friend you haven't talk to in a long time, just so they know you really care...

A true friend will lift you up when you are down, dry your tears when you cry, smile for you when you frown, listen when you need to speak uninterrupted..

Are you a true friend? I hope that I am a true friend to all who need a shoulder to cry on or an ear to hear..

Pat Taylor

August 17, 2001