The companionate aspect of friendship, particularly friendship in Christ, can provide fertile ground for marriage. Many romantic relationships, on the other hand, begin on the basis of attraction. Those who develop into friendships have the makings of a healthy marriage. Friends help each other grow and change over time; they encourage each other's best qualities and try to be there when needed. A good friendship is based on honesty and trust. You cannot lie to your friend-you will only hurt them eventually-so being honest from the beginning is very important. If you want your friendship with another person to last forever, don't expect them to make the same commitment to you. They may feel like it's too hard of a task to accomplish alone so they look for someone to share it with! Friends support each other through good times and bad; they give advice when asked and keep secrets. If you tell your friend something private, put effort into keeping that secret rather than leaking it to everyone else around you. The more important the secret, the longer you should hold onto it. Finally, friends forgive each other's mistakes and shortcomings. It's not enough to simply let things go - you must also seek to resolve any issues that may arise between you. I believe that a good friendship is one of the most valuable gifts that we can receive.