What is a friend?

People take this friend title too lightly. I for one take it very seriously. People say I have a lot of friends, but what is a friend? In all honesty...do I really have any worthwhile friends? Does anyone consider me a true friend?

Let's take a look at the criteria for being a friend in my eyes.

To me a friend is someone you can trust. You can call them up and more often then naught, they will answer or even if they miss your call they will call you back to see what you wanted.

A friend has your back, always. I'm not saying they should help you rob a bank or something. Well, maybe... A friend should always try and point you in the right direction. They should either be able to defend your case when you are right, or point out your mistakes when you are wrong. Also a friend should be able to accept criticism and knowledge from another friend with open ears. Never ignore what a friend tell you.

A friend is someone that helps you. No matter the situation, whether it be a simple task or one of your most dire situations; a friend should know that someone close is in need of help and should oblige. Friends shouldn't just look out for themselves, they should try and better other friends, always.

A friend should never lie to another friend about trivial things. This is where that trust factor comes in. Every situation is not going to be a bed of roses, but being a friend when one of those serious situations occur, one who calls themselves a friend should never hide behind a lie. Lies are the cancer of any strong friendship. You should never lie to a friend... unless it's for their own good

Friends talk to each other on a daily or at worst weekly basis. Friends check in with each other. If you are a friend you shouldn't have to be told or made to want to talk or hang out with your other friends. It should be something you want to do on your own accord. Friends also know how hard this rule is to honor all the time. They understand that they aren't the only person on this planet.

Friends look past your shortcomings. No one is perfect, but being a friend means to understand that you and all of the people that are close to you have faults. We need each other in this game called life. No matter how successful you are, having friends makes life that much more fun and easier.

You should always take your friends seriously. Problems happen in any relationship, but it takes a true friend to admit they are wrong. If you know something that could put a strain on one of your friendships do not let that object snowball into something disastrous. Friends should be able to work out any misunderstanding.

If someone is your friend then you want them in your life. It's as simple as that. Being a friend of someone means they won't over look you in almost any situation. This is an important one because many people who you call friends are not very considerate.  They call you when it is convenient for them and them only.

Friends understand that all these points and criteria marks are very hard to achieve. We all have separate lives we attend to, and it becomes harder and harder to spend the same amount of quality time with your closest friends as the years begin to rack up.

Everything written here is just a microscopic check list about the fundamentals of being a friend. Sure, it's hard to abide by all these rules all the time, but it shouldn't be impossible either.

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So, is this someone you would consider a friend?

Someone who you never see. Someone who ignore your calls and text messages. Someone who lies to you and does not admit their faults. Someone who only contacts you on their time and their time alone.

Is that a friend? I think someone needs to re-look at that title and open their eyes about its true meaning.