On Friendship...

I read a friendship quote the other day that said: "Think to thank" and I thought seriously about the relationship I just "escaped". I thought my friend was a journalist, when, in all actuality, he is a politician... and like politicians, he does not know the meaning of truth.
Friendship is the most important thing, next to family, in my world, and I know that to have a friend, you have to be a friend. Anyone who knows me knows that they can count on me, always. I don't talk friendship... I LIVE friendship.
The one thing that people in a relationship should always be is friends, and although I couldn't see it three years ago when one of my friends and my sister/cousin told me that the man I was dating was too arrogant and self-centered for me (they said, because I have a "giving heart" and he was taking advantage of it), he was not my friend. He was always bringing up the fact that he did thoughtful things for his friends... and he did do those things... but he never did anything thoughtful for me. That should have told me something, right? Of course I didn't listen... and I was even thinking about getting married, but my last trip to see him made me reconsider. I mean, what kind of person takes you to the lake and then tells you that you can get out and go walk along the shore, but he's going to stay in the car? Before that, he at least made attempts, although feeble, to entertain me on my visits, but that time, it was almost like I wasn't there. I never went again!
Unfortunately, I didn't give up on him either. He was my FRIEND, and I never let a friend down. I kept trying to be a friend, kept being a friend. When he whined about his family never encouraging him, I listened and was always encouraging. When he spoke about his dreams and aspirations, I listened and responded with positive suggestions. The only thing I regret is that, when he whined, and sometimes even cried, on the phone about how the world was not treating him right, I made arrangements, sometimes very expensive arrangements, to go to him, thinking I could help. I was his friend. It never once dawned on me that he was not MY friend. He never thanked me for coming to his aid, and he never made any attempt to aid me. He kept saying he loved me, and I've never loved anyone who was not my friend, so I thought he couldn't either. I was so naive and SOOO wrong!!
If I could give advice to anyone, it would be: If you must love anyone, love a friend. A friend will NEVER let you down.
I will keep being a friend until I find a friend who is worthy of my friendship.