A friend in need or in deed?

Choosing chums

Building good friendships come with a lot of respect, trust, love, loyalty and fun. You need to have a commitment to your friends and expect them to return the favour. You should be willing to sacrifice things for your friends. A good friend can become a part of your family and for many people, their friends are their family,” say relationship experts.

But even among friends there are different categories that serve different purposes.
The Close Friend is normally considered the ‘best’ friend, who you may not see or talk to everyday but will never betray you and be there for you in times of need and joy. You rely on each other for advice, support and guidance in life and probably know each other better than anyone else does.

The Casual Friend is the friend you go out to lunch with, enjoy the company once in a while and catch up on gossip.

You appreciate each other, disclose some personal information but are not best friends. If distance keeps you apart, you may email or call, but after a while you usually lose touch.

The Situational Friend is one you see regularly for specific activities such as the gym, work, club or sports activities but rarely seek out during other times of the year.
You enjoy their company and consider them friends rather than acquaintances but in the long run, you probably don't stay connected to this person if the activity ends or distance separates you.

The Social networking Friend is not limited to speaking face to face, going to dinner or talking on the telephone. This new category of friendship just requires a different set of rules and an understanding of how to nurture a relationship that can evolve into something special.

Come Friendship Day, it’s time to acknowledge and celebrate the role each category of friends plays in our lives.