Friendship quotes (Part 1)

Today is KCT's 81st birthday.  He and I worked together in Asia more than 30 years ago and we have remained in touch despite the separation of space and time.  If you missed my February 21, 2011 blog about this lovely man, here is the link:  My octogenarian friend Down Under

Happy birthday, KCT!

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I am a big fan of timeless quotations from people from the past... and present.  Words of wisdom that light a bulb, even inspire, are worth passing along.

May the following bring inspiration...

A friend may well be reckoned

the masterpiece of nature.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

May you always find three welcomes in life,

In a garden during summer,

At a fireside during winter,

And whatever the day or season

In the kind eyes of a friend.

~ Anonymous ~

A loyal friend is like a safe shelter;

find one, and you have found a treasure.

~ Sirach ~

Friends are as companions on a journey,

who ought to aid each other to persevere

in the road to a happier life.

~ Pythagoras ~

There is no friend like the old friend who has shared our morning days,

No greeting like his welcome, no homage like his praise;

Fame is the scentless sunflower, with gaudy crown of gold;

But friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold.

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes ~

True friendships are lasting because true love is eternal.

A friendship in which heart speaks to heart is a gift from God,

and no gift that comes from God is temporary or occasional.

All that comes from God participates in God’s eternal life.

~ Henry J. M. Nouwen ~

To have someone who wants to absorb us,

who wants to understand the shape and structure of our lives,

who will listen for more than our words,

is one of friendship’s greatest gifts.

~ Paul D. Robbins ~

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

For if they fall, one will lift up the other.

~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NRSV ~

A true friend sticks by us in our joys and sorrows.

In good times and bad, we need friends who will pray for us,

listen to us, and lend a comforting hand

and an understanding ear when needed.

~ Beverly Lahaye ~

If we would build on a sure foundation

in friendship, we must love our friends

for their sakes rather than our own.

~ Charlotte Bronte ~

The very possibility of friendship with God

transfigures life.

This conviction… tends inevitably

to deepen every human friendship,

to make it vastly more significant.

~ Henry Churchill King ~

Love one another the way I loved you.

This is the very best way to love.

Put your life on the line for your friends.

~ John 15:12-13 MSG ~

Friends are an indispensable part of a meaningful life.

They are the ones who share our burdens

and multiply our blessings.

~ Beverly Lahaye ~

We all stumble, every one of us.

That’s why it’s a comfort to go hand in hand.

~ Emily Kimbrough ~

There are “friends” who pretend to be friends,

but there is a friend who sticks

closer than a brother.

~ Proverbs 18:24 TLB ~

A true friend is one who hears and understands

when you share your deepest feelings…

A true friend prods you to personal growth,

Stretches you to your full potential.

And most amazing of all, she celebrates your successes

as if they were her own.

~ Richard Exley ~

Whenever I’ve needed someone to share my joy,

or someone to hold me when my world rips to pieces,

you’re there.  And I know you will be—

tomorrow, always.

~ Maya V. Patel ~

No love, no friendship, can ever cross

our path without affecting us in some way.

~ Anonymous ~

If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost.

You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him,

and always stand your ground in defending him.

~ 1 Corinthians 13:7 TLB ~

We are truly loving when we help ourselves

and others to be all we are meant to be.

A loving life is a life where there is a balance between

fulfilling our own needs and caring enough about others

to help them fulfill theirs.

~ Alexandra Stoddard ~

God bless the friend who sees my needs

and reaches out a hand,

who lifts me up, who prays for me,

and helps me understand.

~ Amanda Bradley ~