Few blessings compare to friendship …

We live in a time where the word “blessing” is over-used — or, at least, over-extended — to things that really aren’t “blessings.”

But a friend?

That’s a real blessing!

Is it any wonder, then, that today is a day observed around the world as International Day of Friendship. The Awareness Days website provides a little insight about the origin of the day’s designation:

World Friendship Day, also known as International Day of Friendship takes place on 30th July. The original idea for a day of friendship came from Hallmark cards in the 1930’s. Originally celebrated on 2nd August, the day was largely viewed cynically by the public as a money making exercise, sales of friendship day cards did not take off in Europe and by the mid-1940’s the day had faded into obscurity in the USA. The idea of a day to honor friendship was, however, adopted by a number of countries in Asia where it remained a popular custom to reserve a day for celebrating friendships and the exchange of gifts between friends.

The first World Friendship Day was proposed for 30 July 1958 by the World Friendship Crusade, an international civil organisation that campaigns to foster a culture of peace through friendship. Many years later, in 2011, the 30th July was declared as the International Day of Friendship by the General Assembly of United Nations.

With the growing popularity of social media throughout the world, there has been an increase in celebrating World Friendship day and International Day of Friendship online as well as with community activities in local communities aimed at bringing those of different backgrounds together.

At a time when it seems like the news is persistently negative, and ugliness abounds in many places, when we think of a friend, we tend to think of someone who makes living life, in just about any situation, more beautiful. Just sample these imaginative descriptions of “friendship” written by some middle schoolers:

“A friend is a pair of open arms in a society of armless people.”

“A friend is a warm bedroll on a cold and frosty night.”

“A friend is a mug of hot coffee on a damp cloudy day.”

“A friend is a beautiful orchard in the middle of the desert.”

“A friend is a hot bath after you have walked 20 miles on a dusty road.”

Bits and Pieces reported a British publication once offered a prize for the best definition of a friend. Among the thousands of answers received were the following:

“One who multiplies joys, divides grief, and whose honesty is inviolable.”

“One who understands our silence.”

“A volume of sympathy bound in cloth.”

“A watch that beats true for all time and never runs down.”

The winning definition read: “A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.”

Many things may come to mind when we think of friendship generally, and our own friends specifically. Perhaps one of the best descriptions of friendship comes to us from scripture:

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity,” Proverbs 17:17.

Little can compare to the blessing and beauty of having a friend who always loves you — on your good days and bad, happy times and sad, helpful times and annoying times. No matter what, they love you.

That’s a friend.

Someone like that is worth taking a day to honor.

Being someone like that is worth being one of our greatest endeavors.

My prayer for you is that your life is blessed by the love of a true friend, and that you love others as a true friend to them.

Happy International Day of Friendship!

Scotty