Today is National Friendship Day, a perfect moment to celebrate the people who uplift, understand, and walk beside us.

Friends are blessings. They know our stories, laugh at our jokes, and encourage our dreams. With a true friend, you can share your thoughts, your struggles, your joy.

“In my friend, I find a second self,” said writer Isabel Norton.

Friendship also nurtures health. Studies show that women with little social connection had higher blood pressure—and women with metastatic breast cancer lived longer if supported by a weekly group.

Another study revealed that those with few friends had up to four times the risk of dying prematurely, regardless of age or lifestyle.

“A friend,” said Henry van Dyke, “is what the heart needs all the time.”

Friends help us grow. They listen, offer perspective, and fill the world with comfort and connection.

As journalist Timothy White wrote, “Like creativity, friendship is a sudden spark, appreciated and protected. Chance provides the opportunity; care preserves the light.”

Friendships ebb and flow like the azure waves at Waikīkī Beach. Our relationships shift—sometimes fading, sometimes returning stronger than ever. Lifelong friendships are loving relationships—gifts we give one another.