What makes a great friend? Is he the one who shares lunch with you, who helps you with your homework or tells you to stop cheating in class? Or is he the one who answers back to the teacher, cheats during tests, enters a contest only if it includes hot guys and girls, hangs out with you only when you have a trendy outfit on, and on other days makes excuses in order to hang out with someone else?

People have strange reasons to make friends. Friendship means companionship, which in turn, can be for different reasons. A person needs assurance and support from people who can perform the role of a guardian, comrade and a teacher.

Last year I got acquainted to a person. He hesitated to even go to the nearby grocery store out of utter shyness. He thought people had no other work than staring at him and thinking of ways to make fun of him. He was too conscious of his looks. He did not attend any social gathering and rather preferred to sit back at home and lay eggs.

However, I was taken aback when I met him last month. He was a different guy altogether. I shook hands with a guy who extended his hand most confidently. He appeared like a newlyfound extrovert jockey. The right liaison may help a person to give vent to all ggressive emotions. There are times when loneliness, anger, betrayal and rejection occupies our mind so badly that it becomes essential to cool down. People who are aware of this malaise seek counseling and support from a partner. Such people have tremendous faith in their friends. They are obliged to approve of their friend or else they’ll lose a bosom pal. There are people who are mentally very strong. They just need the company of a person whom they admire for some character traits. Thus befriending a tough guy for safety cannot be ruled out. Sometimes there is an element of obsession present in this relationship as some may overtly display their affection. But there are people who demand nothing from their friends and are always ready to forgive. In friendship there are no strict rules to be followed. Words like sorry and thanks become meaningless. After all it is said that a friend in need is a friend indeed!