Nicola here. Today I’m celebrating the power of friendship as yesterday was International Friendship Day. The value of friendship has been recognised since people first walked the earth – and it’s pretty strong between some animals too and between humans and animals. Greek philosopher Herodotus wrote “Of all possessions, a friend is the most precious.” More recently, the lyrics of the song is the Toy Story movie say “We stick together and can see it through, ‘Cause you've got a friend in me.”
What is friendship, really? A dictionary definition calls it “a state of mutual trust and support” but it’s so much more complicated than that sounds. Some of 
us are lucky enough to have friends we have known since childhood, others from school or college. I’m part of a group of college friends who first came together almost 40 years ago and we still meet up twice a year as a group. It's lovely to have such enduring relationships with people I know so well and feel I can pick up with so easily. Then there are the other friends we make at different stages of our lives. You don’t even have to see each other that much, though when you do, it’s special. The Wenches are an amazing group of friends scattered across three continents; we don’t get the chance to see each other much but we’re so supportive of each other through the thick and thin of writing and life. In fact, being an author is a wonderful way to meet friends across the world, through readers’ and writers’ groups.
The older I have got the more I have come to see how special and valuable my friendships are. As an only child I was quite quiet and shy and didn’t make friends easily. I wasn’t even sure how friendship really worked for a long time but hopefully I’ve got the hang of it now. Psychologist Dr Suzanne Degges-White says: "True friendships are hallmarked by each member's desire to engage with the other – it's about mutual interest in one another's experiences and thoughts, as well as a sense of 'belongingness' and connection." So, friendship requires mutual support, trust and respect.
Some people feel that it’s more difficult to make new friends as you get older and certainly friendships can often start with a shared interest or activity, people who are at a similar stage in life, or who can bond over shared experiences. But I have a friend who makes friends very easily and it happens simply because she chats to people and is open to talking to anyone. She has no preconceptions about people and as a result has been rewarded with some unlikely but wonderful friendships.
What about friendships in fiction? Elizabeth Bennet is the sort of woman a lot of people would probably want as a friend. She 
funny, clever and loyal. She and her sister Jane are very close but the other striking friendship in Pride and Prejudice is between Elizabeth and Charlotte Lucas. It’s an interesting relationship because they are so very different and they also have a fundamentally different view of love and marriage. Charlotte is quick to accept Elizabeth’s rejected suitor Mr Collins in order to secure her own future and whilst Elizabeth is pretty appalled, she doesn’t hesitate to visit Charlotte and maintain the friendship.
Then there’s Merry and Pippin in Lord of the Rings, who are already friends in the Shire when they go on an adventure together. They have each other’s back all the way through and emerge as heroes through their loyalty and courage.
It’s no wonder that Winnie the Pooh in the UN’s World Ambassador of Friendship. Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger have a wonderful bond. They show what it really means to be there for each other, as well as the importance of spending time together doing stuff – or doing nothing. Winnie the Pooh reminds us never to take one another for granted, and to cherish the people we love forever.
“It seemed they had always been, and would always be, friends. Time could change much, but not that.” — Winnie the Pooh
I’m currently reading a book called Thea and Denise which is about two female friends on a road trip to Northumberland, a sort of Northern England version 
of Thelma and Louise. It’s very thought provoking on the topic of friendships (as well as the menopause!) I also love the way that authors like Sarah Morgan and Jennifer Bernard write friendships. There's something about those relationships and the bonds between people that tells us a lot about human nature.
What does friendship mean to you? Do you have a favourite author who writes about friendship or a favourite series or book involving friends?
