Who Are Your True Friends?

One of my goals this year was to nurture friendships. It says in Pirkei Avot, Ethics of our Fathers, that one should “buy” themselves a friend. That doesn’t mean paying someone, but, instead, one needs to invest in a friendship truly.

One of the ways to fulfill this is to make an effort to spend time together. Not FaceTime, WhatsApp, email, or text, but actually get together with a friend live and in person. And that’s what I did this past week, meeting in Jerusalem with two long lost dear friends.

Most of the people in our lives are not really friends; they are acquaintances. And there is nothing wrong with acquaintances! But those are relationships that are dependent upon circumstance. We work together; our kids go to the same school; we are neighbors. But once the circumstances change, the relationship falls by the wayside.

Countless people have shared with me that after a divorce, a sickness, or loss of wealth, “you find out who your real friends are.”

Friends share the same values, and a real friend will tell you when you are messing up, not to “one-up” you, but because they care. And true friendship is mutual; you gain from each other.

So take stock. Who are your true friends? Then take the time to invest. You will find the rewards are very, very great.