For me, the word ‘friendship’ or ‘friends’ is very special and even exclusive, although nowadays it’s taken very lightly. Not just anyone is a friend; they might be an acquaintance, a work colleague, a neighbour or a contact, but friendship is something profound, and that has been lost in this day and age , nowadays, everyone is a friend. In my case, very few are friends.
Perhaps I’m old fashioned, from another era, or whatever you want to call it, but in my opinion, a friend means trust, fulfilment, sincerity, respect and much more, but always things on the ‘white’ or positive side, as I call it.
Some people say that opposites attract, but in reality you can’t be drawn to your opposite because at some point you’d clash with that person, whatever the relationship, be it friendship or anything else. We’re drawn to what we see as a mirror of ourselves. That’s what life has taught me.
That’s why I believe the qualities I unconsciously look for in a friend, and I say this because I don’t analyse the person as if I were looking for an employee or a bank to trust, but rather friendship arises partly naturally and partly through the unconscious mind itself attracting people, are similar to the qualities I possess myself, as friendship is a mirror in which one looks at oneself.
Of course, they don’t have to be exactly like me, but there are some very important things to bear in mind, and as I say, it’s not that I analyse the person, but you do feel an affinity for someone who’s similar.
Having said that, I think qualities such as respect for the other person, in every sense, are important, as are fidelity and loyalty between the two of us, and that the other person inspires trust; in other words, for example, that they know how to keep a secret, just as I do, and that they treat what we discuss as confidential, that’s where trust is built.
I also consider sincerity to be important, the ability to talk to that person about everything in life without being judged, because each person acts and lives according to their own programming, their personal experiences and, looking further back, their family experiences. A person is a combination of beliefs, experiences and programming; judging others is not in my nature.
They have to be someone with whom I can cry and laugh, a source of support in difficult times, and a person who is genuinely and wholeheartedly happy for the good things that happen to me. There are many kinds of love, and there is a love that comes from friendship, and that is unconditional, loyal and kindred.
I’ve realised that true friendship knows no bounds; it transcends time and space. In fact, and my friend Claudia will be reading this back in Argentina, we’re in closer touch now than when we lived more than 100 km apart. Every day, without fail, we get in touch, and sharing things with each other is like an oasis of refuge; we trust each other completely, and our conversations are just between us. In fact, she’s now my right-hand woman for everything back in my home country. She’s like my twin sister, but one I’ve chosen myself. We chose each other.
Loli, my dear friend here in Spain, we share so much, and that sense of kindred spirit is always there: similar views, ways of looking at life. Although we’ve known each other for fewer years than I’ve known Claudia, the connection came about spontaneously; I think it was a witches’ gathering… joking aside. Because I know she’ll be reading this.
It’s one of those friendships where you know, deep down, that it will last a lifetime, that it’s not just a passing phase. That’s deep friendship, and I call them kindred spirits.
But I’d like to link this topic I’ve chosen to another one, where the question is asked: how would I react to traits in a friend such as laziness, selfishness and arrogance? I’ll simply say that I’d never choose people, including friends – with those traits, so I wouldn’t have to react to them. But when faced with people like that, I distance myself; they put me off. You can’t build a lovely friendship with people like that, at least not in my particular case.
The lazy person doesn’t take action and just waits for things to fall into their lap, that’s not my style. The arrogant person has a huge ego, which is something I steer well clear of, and the selfish person wants everything for themselves, how can they possibly love and share with another person something as beautiful as friendship?
That’s why I’m always grateful to my friends for being who they are and for this lovely relationship we’ve chosen in this life. Thank you 
Thank you very much to everyone for joining me today; I wish you all a very lovely weekend.
Amonet.
All the photographs are mine.
Used translator Deepl.com free version.