Last two Tuesdays, the world celebrated International Friendship Day, but it probably came and went without much notice. If you do some research, you will be quite amazed at the many interesting days that have been designated by the United Nations. International Friendship Day, for example, only came about in 2011 after many years of lobbying by various groups.

I like this quote posted by one of my friends on Facebook recently – “Good friends care for each other. Close friends understand each other. And true friends stay forever. Beyond words, beyond time.”

Although Facebook is one channel where people can boast of having hundreds or thousands of friends, the reality is that our true friends probably can be counted on one hand, or at the most, two, whether we want to admit it or not.

In our busy world, friendship is always put to the test when we are not able to give our time to people. Is an office meeting more important than visiting a friend at the hospital? Would you give up a power lunch with the Who’s Who of Corporate Malaysia to lend a pair of listening ears and a shoulder to cry on to a colleague who has just lost his son in a fatal accident?

You should count yourself very blessed if you have a few such true friends. And better still, if you are counted as one of such true friends to others.

~ Adapted from Soo Ewe Jin (The Star)