So many fun things in life to enjoy. There are vacations, places to visit, games to play, movies to go see, friends to be with. It all could be a dizzy experience trying to take it all in.

Above and beyond the fun, there are other considerations. Some "friends" aren't really much of friends at all. On a scale of self-less-ness vs self-ish-ness, their rating could be quite low.

I've seen so much of this. Friends that care only about getting you in trouble, simply to ease their pain. Friends that take things out on you, with condescending voices, trying to make you feel lower than they already feel. Friends that would leave you in a heartbeat for somebody more "popular."

So sure, they might want to have fun and at times, might even be fun. But are they really the right kind of fun?

I was just reading yesterday about teens who died in a fire-y blaze of a car crash. It happens all the time. A little joy riding. Not harmful at all, right?

Wrong.

There are all kinds of friends to made. And when a person is willing to wait, the better ones can be found.

Dictionary.com states that a friend is somebody who supports you and has personal regard for you (see Dictionary.com). Isn't this what we all want? Someone to respect us and to (yes) have fun with?

Is it any wonder that as parents, adults feel a strong sense of obligation to watch out for their kids--even though it may be aggravating to the kids? Adults want to make sure their children's friends are good ones.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be highlighting some ideas of how to find good friends and how to be a good friend. We all know that we need friends...just the right kind. The kind that would stay up with you all night if you were sick. The kind that would be there for you, even if everyone else "bailed." And of course, the kind that is truly fun. The kind that even parents would be grateful for.

These kind of friends are the ones that make the teen years fun. And we're about to find out how to find them...and to be one! So join me here often for all kinds of "fun" tips!

Warmly,

C.S. Bezas