4 Ways To Know *For Sure* If Your Friend Is A REAL Friend

You love your friend, right? They are the peanut butter to your jelly, the fork to your spoon, and the thread in your needle. But do they feel the same way about you?

How do you distinguish your real friends from your "friends," the ones who only hit you up when they need you for something, but are never there when you need them? Here are the four major signs to look out for:

1. Real friends back their words up with action.

Love is as much a feeling as it is an action, and when friends love one another, they act. It's more than just talk. They follow up what they say with actions. They never say one thing and do another.

2. Real friends will make time for you, even if they're busy.

A friend isn't someone who finds time for you — they make time for you. Even when they become busy, they'll take time out of their lives to spend it with you doing things you love doing. There's no such thing as a true friend who you never see because "they just got so busy."

3. Real friends let you be yourself.

Your real friends won't ever ask you to be anything but your true self. They love you and they don't want to control you. They don't even feel like they have to give you permission; they just let you be you.

4. Real friends help you be a better person.

They're going to be there for you in the worst of times, but they also want to see you learn from it and grow as a person. They're not afraid to call you on your BS, but they'll support you as you develop anyway. 

"There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship." — Thomas Aquinas