Inner workings of Friendship

What makes a friend?
A friend is someone who, most of the time, you get along with well. They are always at your side and encourage you to do new and different things. Friends push you to become a better person all around. They support you when you lose and celebrate with you when you win. Most of all they accept you for you, they don't expect you to change or be a different person when they are around you and they are not ashamed to be with you.
Why do we have friends?
We surround ourselves with friends as a type of secondary family. When we are at school or other events in our lives we normally have friends there to share the experience. We keep them there for communication, affection, and support. Sometimes we even have them there to act as a sort of defensive wall to help protect us from various dangers. They also help to develop social and emotional skills that we will probably use later in our lives. Skills like cooperation and the ability to work to a single goal that will benefit everyone involved. Last but not least, they keep us from being isolated from the world around us and provide us with companionship.