“Friends are the siblings that God never gave us” so said the ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius, and we think he’s got a point…. And to celebrate our very nearest and dearest friends, did you know that September is National Friendship Month?

Image by Pamela Benn on freeimages.com

National friendship group Oddfellows dedicated the month of September to friends as part of their campaign to bring communities closer together and highlight the importance of friendship to the nation. We all know that having good friends in our lives makes us happier, but did you know it makes us healthier too? People with a good network of friends that they can rely on are less likely to suffer from illnesses such as depression or anxiety.

So, in honour of our wonderful friends, here are our favourite friendship quotes. Have a tissue handy…..

• “There is nothing more on this earth to be prized than true friendship.” Thomas Aquinas
• “A single rose can be my garden, a single friend, my world…..” Leo Buscaglia
• “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” Walter Winchell
• “A friend is what the heart needs all the time.” Henry van Dyke
• “Friendship isn’t something you learn at school…. but, if you haven’t learnt the value of friendship then you haven’t learnt anything at all.” Muhammad Ali
• “Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” Albert Camus
• “It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Love is the only force capable of turning an enemy into a friend.” Martin Luther King Jr.
• “Friends are born, not made.” Henry Adams
• “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “There are some people in life who make you laugh a little louder, smile a little bigger and live just a a little bit better.” Unknown
• “Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there….” Unknown
• “A friend is one who knows you, and who loves you just the same.” Elbert Hubbard
• “In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of the little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” Khalil Gibran
• “Let us be grateful for the people who makes us happy. They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Marcel Proust
• “Friends and good manners will carry you to places where money can’t go.” Margaret Walker
• “It is only the great-hearted who can be true friends. The mean and cowardly can never know what friendship means.” Charles Kingsley.
• “Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.” Unknown
• “It takes a long time to grow an old friend.” John Leonard

The friendship charity Oddfellows are holding hundreds of fun SociabiliTEA events up and down the country as part of National Friendship Month. Friends, old and new, can get together and share a cuppa and a biscuit. You can find out more information on events near you by clicking here.

Image by Shannon Pifko on freeimages.com