Were we to define the word 'friendship', one of the greatest relationships in the world, we can summarize it in just two words.
These words are 'Supportive Affection'.
No relationship would survive if there is absence of affection between or among the persons involved.
When affection is qualified with the factor of active 'support', there the real friendship emerges.
The factor of supporting a friend could be active in many forms.
Friendship would come into action when a friend faces some trouble and is in dire need of support and care.
Friendship is not just an association of persons who come to help their group members.
It is good to be an active participant in such a supportive association; but the base of friendship is affection towards a particular person.
Due to that affection, the friends feel themselves 'bound' in an emotional bondage.
A string of intimacy would be there.
Higher the level of intimacy, stronger would be a friendship.
A true friendship would defer in many ways from just acquaintance or mere desire to help each other while in need.
Main difference is the notion of sympathy and mutual respect.
The hearts of friends are like nests of the birds of sympathy for each other.
A true friend would also be honest in relationship, as he or she would not hesitate to tell the truth in case of need, even if the truth so told might not be sweet for the ears of the other friend.
In true friendship, a friend would always desire and act for providing the best available things or situations in life of the other friend.
Such friendship can be between two men or between two women.
But when such a true friendship is built between a man and a woman, it becomes more important for the life of both the friends.