I saw a friend’s post earlier this day—she shared that now that she’s in her 30s, it’s not as important to have many friends, but a few who really count.

I have to agree. But regardless of how old you are, quality over quantity will always win in the friendship sphere of things. Here are a few reasons why friendship should be at the top of your "things to be thankful for" list:

1. You get to be your truest self.
When with friends you’ve known for a long time, you don’t need to make an impression (heck, they’ve probably seen you at your worst) or second-guess yourself before saying something. You can be as candid as you want, because you’re in the company of people you know and trust. Admit it: You’ve probably hung out with them in the rattiest pambahay t-shirt already and not cared.

2. They will forgive you over and over again.
Everybody messes up in life, and sometimes, you tend to shun away the people who care about you the most. True friends will happily welcome you back into the fold when you come back to your senses, and will gladly ride with you on your road to recovery—be it heartbreak, career-related issues, or whatnot.

3. They won’t butter up the harsh reality for you.
True friends won’t bat an eyelash dishing you the hard truth—it can be as shallow as telling you how fat you look in your dress or how you should break up with your asshole boyfriend, and they won’t feel sorry about it one bit. That’s because they love you that much that they’ll be honest with you and what they feel will be the best for you.

4. Help is always on the way.
Feeling shitty at work? Had a blowup with your beau? Having family issues? You’ve got an instant helpline already with your friends. It’s not only convenient to not have to explain the whole context/background of your situation—because they’re constantly updated about your life anyway—but also because they know you too well they already know how your mind thinks and also know what advice you need the most.

PHOTO: Flickr Creative Commons/Lisa Widerberg