Sometimes people find the love of their life in their best friends . Such people are truly blessed ,as many believe the foundations of true love is friendship .Seeing a close friendship of many years blossoming into love ,is indeed very beautiful and heartwarming . There can be many more reasons why our friends are so dear to us and why their friendship is so precious . Friends fight for us when we are insulted ,defend us in front of the world and pray alongside us in difficult times . But as important as it is to have friends ,equally important is to know how to maintain them . The seeds of friendship need to be sowed deep and the plant needs to be carefully and tenderly nurtured to bear a great fruit . I would like to conclude by quoting a few lines from the title song of popular American sitcom Friends which sums up the true essence of friendship : " I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour. I'll be there for you, like I've been there before. I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too."