Today is National Friendship Day, a day to celebrate friends!

Friends are blessings. Our friends know us, support us and understand us.  Sweet and steady, with a friend you can be yourself, share your thoughts, your craziness, your dreams.

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

Having friends keeps you healthier. Studies have shown that women with little social contact had higher blood pressure. And women with metastatic breast cancer lived longer if they were part of a weekly support group.

Another studied proved that those with little or no friends had two to four times the risk of dying prematurely, regardless of age and other factors.

"A friend," said poet Henry van Dyke, "is what the heart needs all the time."

Friends help you work through problems, they listen and give encouragement. There is nothing like the comfort of a close friend. Friends help you to grow and celebrate life.

As journalist Timothy White put it, "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 Lanikai Beach on Oahu's Windward side. Our relationships go through cycles, sometimes trailing off, sometimes returning stronger than ever. Friendships that last a lifetime are loving relationships. They are special gifts you give to each other.

The bird a nest
the spider a web
the human friendship.
~ William Blake