‘Life without a true friend is like a barren desert, without water, without vegetation- dry like the sandy expanse of nothingness.’-
Tasneem Hossain
Friends are precious gifts of God sent to us for breathing happiness in or lives. True friendship is a powerful bond that transcends the boundaries of age, race, social status, culture and countries. It’s a bond that develops through shared experiences and enriches our life’s journey providing a sense of belonging. It forms an integral part of our social and emotional wellbeing and lasts a lifetime. Friendship can be best defined as valuable as oxygen without which we cannot survive.
True friendship enriches our lives in countless ways.
A strong foundation upon which true friends can rely and nurture their relationships is built on trust, loyalty, mutual understanding, support, companionship, selflessness and compassion.
A meaningful relationship can only grow when there is trust. We trust our true friends, share our deepest fears and dreams, secrets and weaknesses and seek solace and advice from them without the fear of being judged. Having someone to confide in, who understands our struggles and joys, can be incredibly comforting and plays a crucial role in our mental and emotional well-being.
Loyalty is also vital for true friendship. Friends stand by us in times of hardships and are a constant source of strength. The willingness to go to great lengths to ensure our well-being nurtures a deep-rooted fellow feeling.
Mutual understanding and respect also play a pivotal role in true friendship. Friends understand emotions, thoughts, and perspectives; and accept the flaws and imperfections without being judgmental. They acknowledge and appreciate each other’s opinions, and choices. This allows honest communication and creates a sense of belonging.
Whether we recognize it or not, friendship plays a paramount role in shaping our personalities and influencing our happiness. A good friendship involves empathy and compassion. True friends genuinely celebrate our triumphs. There is no room for envy or jealousy. They motivate us to reach new heights of splendour. Our happiness is a priority even if it means putting their own interests aside. Friends support us emotionally, showing empathy during times of distress and celebrate our successes with genuine happiness.
During hard times they listen patiently and offer the desired solace. They guide us in confronting these challenges. They stand by us, accept us as we are, and help us grow. They inspire us to view life in all its positivity. They encourage us in believing in ourselves. It’s through these ups and downs that friendships grow stronger and we learn to rely on and trust each other.
‘Friendship isn’t a big thing—it’s a million little things.’ -Paulo Coelho
True friendship doesn’t only depend on grand gestures of affection. It’s often the small little moments that matter the most. It’s the little conversations in between work, the late-night calls; sharing secrets and jokes; sudden hangouts and all the shared laughter and tears that create lasting memories.
All these act as medicine against stress and reinforce our resilience. These also aid in personal growth and character development promoting virtues such as honesty, loyalty, and compassion; thereby helping us to grow into socially responsible and empathetic members of the society. Cultivating an environment that encourages open communication and mutual respect through friendship helps break cultural and communal barriers and strengthens social harmony and societal bonds.
Friendships may develop during our formative years of childhood from school or neighbourhood. It can be a healthy part of childhood and adolescence, and offers opportunities to build important relationships where we understand each other outside our families. Sometimes these childhood friendships last- ‘till death does us apart’.
Adult Friendships can be more difficult to make than making friends as a child. These friendships sometimes develop in the workplace, parties or chance meetings. These friendships can be just as important as in any other stage and can be meaningful and long lasting.
In this age of digitalization friends may be made online. Some of these may remain digital, some might end in meeting up in person eventually. These connections can also be valuable. I, myself, have some friends whom I haven’t met but their support has been crucial in my life as an author.
True friends genuinely care for each other’s well-being and happiness. Sometimes we may get involved with individuals under the mask of friendship. They use friendship to achieve personal goals by manipulating. Dishonest friends care about their own needs and lack sincerity. It’s important to distinguish between genuine friends and dishonest people.
Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity. -Khalil Gibson
It’s imperative to take precaution and distinguish between true and dishonest friendships. In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, true friendship is often overshadowed by superficial relationships. Modern day challenges can also cause barriers in the development of genuine friendships. It’s crucial to navigate through these obstacles and seek out genuine friends.
Selecting the right friends ensures a strong foundation of mutual respect and support. We need to prioritize quality over quantity. To cultivate meaningful relationships, it’s vital to choose friends with similar values, who are kind, compassionate, and trustworthy and have high level of integrity. Friends with positive outlook can have great influence on our own behavior and choices.
‘True friends are never apart, maybe in distance but never in heart.’
The passage of time and distance cannot break the bonds of true friends. When we meet our friends after a long time, it doesn’t feel that so much time has passed. It feels as if we met just the other day. Life is hard and we can make life easier by having good friends who are there to support us when times are tough. Living life without true friendship is like living life without a soul.
The importance of friends has grown as we have moved from joint families to nuclear families. Bonds of friendship are so strong, that we regard them as family members.
True friendship is precious. Sometimes we take friends for granted but we need to give time, effort, and emotional investment to nurture it.
The power of friendship is universal.
International Day of Friendship is on 30 July. The basic concept behind International Day of Friendship is promoting compassion and kindness; uniting people together across the globe; convincing people not be separated on the basis of caste, creed, religion, ethnicity, race, language, political beliefs, or philosophy.
The theme of International Friendship Day 2026 adopted by global organisations like The United Peacekeepers Federal Council is, ‘Friendship beyond Borders’ sharing the motto ‘One World. Many Cultures. Endless Friendships.’
Though the United Nations does not formally have an annual theme for the International Day of Friendship. The day focuses mainly on the core ideals like human solidarity and peace through kindness and friendship. It can be achieved by building bridges between different groups, nurturing mutual understanding, and lessening gaps caused by different backgrounds, languages, beliefs, or traditions. In other words, it’s about bringing people of diverse communities and nations together to create shared meaning and cooperation for global harmony.
The spirit of friendship can make the world prosperous and peaceful by developing and maintaining social harmony among people, societies and countries; we can achieve a better level of stability, solidarity and peace around the globe.
The idea behind friendship day was inspired by Joyce Hall, Hallmark Cards’ founder. He proposed this idea in 1930 to increase the sale of greeting cards but it didn’t last long.
Later, Dr. Ramon Artemio Bracho and his friends of the World Friendship Crusade, in Paraguay, proposed International Friendship Day on July 30 in 1958. They believed the power of friendship would enhance fellowship and friendship without religion, ethnicity, and race discrimination and create a culture of peace worldwide.
Later, in 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared 30 July as International Friendship Day. They believed friendship would help build bridges between communities and bring individuals, cultures, and countries together for a prosperous peaceful world.
To mark this special day, the United Nations encourages community groups, international organizations, governments and civil society groups to hold events that promote solidarity and mutual understanding. Friendship Day gives us a chance to promote social harmony, security, and peace globally.
Friendship Day has gained popularity in several countries across the globe. Though, the celebrations of this day occur on different dates in different countries the basic idea remains the same: celebration of love for friendship and cherishing their presence in life.
True friendship is a rare and priceless treasure that enriches our lives in innumerable ways. It’s a bond that fulfills and enriches our lives, brings joy, provides emotional and mental support; and personal growth. Moreover, it promotes the sense of belonging and acceptance, creating a support system that helps combat feelings of loneliness and isolation. As we sail through life, let’s treasure and nurture the bonds of friendship, for they are the greatest treasures we can possess.
‘Because of you, I laugh a little harder, cry a little less, and smile a lot more.’
Only a fortunate few are blessed with true friends. Cherish them, you may never find another.
So, right now, make a phone call, send an email, text, or card. Let your friends know how much you care and appreciate their presence in your life.
Thank you, my friend, for all your love and care,
I will miss you when I am not here.
Our sweetest memories will always be there,
To make you smile and send me a prayer.
-T.H.
What are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and make that loving call.
Read: Self- Care: A Holistic Approach
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Tasneem Hossain is a multilingual poet, columnist, op-ed and fiction writer, educator, translator and training consultant. She is the Director of Continuing Education Centre, Bangladesh. With four published books (four more are underway), her writings are published regularly on the global platform. Some of her works have been translated in 23 languages. Her works are utilized as teaching material in universities in Bangladesh and China, and has been the subject of scholarly research paper and cited in scholarly research papers too. She also conducts international haiku workshops, fostering literary creativity worldwide. Recognized among the ‘100 Most Influential Literary Figures of 2025’ by Barcelona Adibia, she is the winner of the Walt Whitman 2025 Contest and earned first place in the Friedrich Schiller International Literary Competition 2025. She has also won the prestigious Giovanni Pascoli Award for 2026-2027 and Shahittyapata Award 2025 and 2026. She is an Editorial Ambassador for Wordsmith International Editorial (USA) and Board Ambassador of Literacy and Culture for the Asih Sasami Indonesia Foundation. President, National Award Committee of The Noble Laureate World Award Committee
