6 Quotes About Friends for My Teenager

We often hear about the important role friends play in our children's lives, especially during the teenage years.  Almost daily I find myself praying for my teenage daughters to have strong, life-giving friendships with those who will be loyal, honest, and loving.

Below are six quotes, wisdom from others, that I want to pass along to my daughters as they consider how to be and how to find good friends.

1.  "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."  ~Proverbs 18:24.  I want my girls to recognize the importance of reaching out to others in friendship and to realize now that Jesus will always be their closest friend.

2.  "My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me."  ~Henry Ford.  A true friend makes us a better person.

3.  "Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity."  ~Khalil Gibran.  Look at friendships as what you can give to others, not what you can get from them.

4.  "Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence."  ~George Washington.  It takes time to build trust, so be careful whom you trust with your deepest thoughts and feelings - and be just as careful to keep the trust that is given to you by a friend.

5.  "Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or to keep one."  ~Robert E. Lee.  A true friend will not ask you to do anything that he or she knows goes against your beliefs.

6.  "When you choose your friends, don't be short-changed by choosing personality over character."  ~W. Somerset Maugham.  Value those who are true to themselves and get to know them better.

I think it goes without saying that these truths apply to our adult friendships as well!

What other principles do you believe help us build true friendships?