THE GOLDEN RULE OF FRIENDSHIP

Friends are evil, they said
Bring them too close and, like a vulture, they'll wait till you're dead and feed on you.
As I grew older, I stopped believing
It was a lie...but then, it wasn't entirely true.

Everybody has their good and bad sides,
their personalities that are moulded
by their upbringing and experiences,
their successes and failures,
their strengths and weaknesses.
Nobody has one side without having the other
We are all one big twist.

We've all learnt to cohabit and tolerate,
to embrace and welcome,
to live together, despite our differences,
We all, are still learning,
But we could do better.

We could try to understand that just as we have mood swings, our friends do too,
that just as we have financial problems, our friends do too,
that just as we have health issues, our friends do too,
that though our problems may differ, they are still problems all the same.
We could try to understand that, not all of us care about where you are from and what your past looks like,
some of us are more concerned about personality and potential.

Finally, we should sink this into our heads.
We are undoubtedly special,
beautifully made, wonderfully crafted,
We all are a masterpiece on our own
But we aren't more special than the next person,
We aren't more unique than the next person,
We aren't more perfect, more amazing, more extraordinary than the next person
Your 'friend' shouldn't have to take the trash you won't take.
So let your sense of elevated importance take a back seat.
Focus on appreciating and treating your friend,  the  next person, just as you treat yourself.

It boils down to the golden rule :
DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE DONE UNTO YOU.