What Does Friendship Day Mean To You?

"Don't walk in front of me,

I may not follow.

Don't walk behind me,

I may not lead.

Walk beside me and

be my friend.

By Albert Canus."

Back in 1935 a tradition began among people that wanted to show friends just how much they cared. On the first Sunday in August, this became known as a day to celebrate friendships by honoring your friends. Through the years friends have come and gone, while others have remained. Many have experienced the loss of a friend, and the heartache but focusing on the good times keeps their friendships alive in our hearts. At some point or another we've experienced friends who has taken advantage of our friendship or kindness, in some form or another but a true friend wouldn't take advantage.

Friendship Day has become a very popular event and is celebrated in other countries including India.

A list of gifts to exchange on Friendship Day.

• Gift Cards (Showing how much you care and value their friendship)
• Flowers (A yellow rose with a red tip is the official flower which stands for friendship and falling in love)
• Photo Album (Pictures of the wonderful times you two have spent together and shared)
• Picture Frame (Insert a picture of the two of you or just give them the frame to place a picture of their chose in it)
• Candy (A nice box of chocolates)
• Book (Give a book from their favorite author)
• CD's (Music of their favorite singer)
• Stationary (Paper, pens, gift box with different stationary)
• Stuff Animals
• Collector's Items
• China
• Give a gift of something they've been wanting, but haven't gotten yet

Money spent doesn't make the gift, its the thought that counts. I find it more enjoyable when they make a present of a craft item. Some crafts are jewelry made from beads, or a painting from an art kit.

I moved here a few years ago, when this woman, call her Lucy, started coming over everyday. I knew her a few years before I moved here. We'd never been close friends before, maybe spoke a few times. Her visits at first were a few a week but quickly became everyday habit. Lucy had a bad habit of inviting herself and family over for supper, their were six of them altogether. Since I didn't drive, she'd offer to take me to the store, but would charge gas money ($20), just to go about a mile and half to the store and back, then complain to hurry up. Another bad habit she had was to put stuff for their supper in my cart for me to pay for plus the twenty in gas money. With her it was all about how much money you paid her, including the cigarettes and Pepsi plus the gas money. Finally I told her I couldn't afford her high prices to run me no more than a mile and half, that I would take the bus.

Now this made her mad, she complained everyday how much this hurt her feeling but I knew she meant the money and free items. I also told her that she needed to find somewhere else to do her laundry since she would do around five to six loads a week plus use my laundry supplies, and it ran my water bill up. She got real upset crying that I hurt her feelings, but I got the feeling it was an act to get me to feel sorry for her. Even went further by telling her I wouldn't be able to loan her any more money since she never paid back, that she owed over two hundred dollars, and I couldn't afford to support her.

Now Lucy doesn't come around much these days but does try to cause me problems. I've learned a valuable lesson in all of this. What I learned is that some people will never be your real friend, that those type of people are just users for everything they can get free. I'm nice towards Lucy these days but her days of using me are over as I learned a valuable lesson, some will take advantage of a person kindness without the slightest bit of guilt.

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...It has rather no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival. C.S. Lewis".

"Anybody can sympathies with the suffering of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathies with a friend success. Oscar Wild".

1. Men visit about ten hours a week with friends.
2. Women tend to visit about seven and a half hours a week with friends.
3. People will have about 396 friends through out their life span but only will have around thirty-three at one time.
4. Those people with a strong social network of friends will more than likely be able to survive a heart attack or cancer.
5. Those with a strong network of friends are less susceptible to chronic illness.
6. In 1997 the United Nations decided to name Winnie the Pooh as the World Ambassador Of Friendship.
7. April 27, 2011, the General Assembly Of The United Nations decided to declare the thirty of July as the Official International Friendship Day.
8. In some of the countries there is no certain day that is celebrated as Friendship Day.
9. Best Friends Weekend was established by the Best Friends Animal Society, for on this weekend is to honor and protect the rights of animals.
10. Dr. Artemio Bracho, was the one who proposed the World Friendship Day on July 20th, 1958, while having dinner with friends in Puerto, Pinasco.