Keeping the Friends You Find

When I was a Girl Scout we used to sing the same song at the end of each of our meetings. It went, ” Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” I didn’t know it then, but that song had a lot of truth in it. It’s not enough to make new friends; you have to learn how to keep your friends once you find them. After college, it gets harder to make friends. Consequently, the importance of maintaining friendships grows exponentially, 

But, what does it take to strengthen your friendships? It usually takes primarily one thing: effort. You have to make an effort to stay in contact with your friends, and you have to know when to go the extra mile. You also have to be willing to work through conflict without glossing over problems or destroying the friendship. Having friends takes work, but it’s much better than the alternative.