I've had very few true friends in my life. Many people are only friends with you when there is something to gain from the relationship, while others cease being friends when some sort of falling out occurs or when they simply tire of you. Rare are those who stick with you through good times and bad, who want nothing more than your company, and who know the true meaning of forgiveness.
Admittedly, though, I'm probably more to "blame" for my scarcity of close friendships than anyone else. As a task-oriented person, I often put work above relationship building, so I don't generally do a good job of cultivating friendships. What is more, I have a rather dull personality during one-on-one and small-group encounters. I'm kind of quiet and reserved, meaning I'm never the life of the party, and I rarely have the best snarky comment to offer during bantering conversation (yes, you guessed it, I'm an introvert!). And I prefer serious discussions too much of the time. Friends usually want to keep it light. Let's face it...we have enough serious things to think about already. So, for these reasons and more, people aren't flocking to me for brotherly love.
But I'm not upset by this. Sure, I'd love to have scores of close friends to lean on during rough times--I'd love to have photo albums full of teenage and college buddies--but such is not my reality. My reality entails only a few close friends scattered across 30 years of my life. It involves a lot of missed opportunities, some pain and rejection, and long spans of time when I had no one to call on. But through the smoke and haze of life have come those wonderful people whom I call my true and closest friends. And having so few of them has helped me appreciate each of them all the more. Yes, it is true that these friends have been very hard to come by over the years, but they are so very easy to love today.