My grandmother used to talk highly of individuals she had been friends with for fifty years. Of course, it wasn't smooth sailing. They had their moments but they stuck together. They were genuine with each other. There for each other through thick and thin. Of course, others were just fake individuals

Not to say, there are no genuine friendships but, a motive has to be tagged in all our friendships. Some have perfected the art of complaining about hat their friends are not doing. Bickering every day of the things the friends did and were not supposed to and vice versa. We have become a generation that points fingers at others for our unrealistic expectations.

But how about me and you have a candid conversation.

Before complaining about your friends not matching up to your expectations, are you a real friend?

Are you secretly rooting for their failure? Oh, thee spirit of Jezebel.

Are you someone that will speak highly of your friends in their absence or will use the opportunity to undress them before the crowd. Talk about their weaknesses with some form of exaggeration.

Are you the individual who speaks as if you are the designated savior of all your friends, 'without me, they wouldn't have gone anywhere. I have helped them. Don't you see they have added weight because of the food I provide for him and the family?'

Are you the one who would hide an opportunity from a friend until the deadline because of envy and feeling she doesn't deserve a breakthrough?

What kind of friend are you, the one who smiles when together but stabs when they look back?

Are you the type of friend who will have an affair with your BFF's husband and justify it. After all, everyone is doing it. 

Are you the type of friend who will go to war for your friends or you are the one who fuels the war and puts them at the frontline to be killed? 

Are you part of the man eat mean society and you are the reason your friends are not progressing? The one who creates pseudos accounts to attack them.

Are you the type that uses your friends to fight your battles, be present at your lowest moments, and once you flourish you distant yourself from them?

I hope you have stopped and reflected because as much as we are social beings if you are not being a real friend then you have got no business being in another's life. Maybe you should just pack and leave. It will save you the bickering.

Friendships are not devoid of challenges but in a world that is so fake, let's have one thing that is real. Friendships. Be a Jonathan to a David. 

One friend can not be everything to you but can you base the friendship on genuineness, honesty, trust, and manage your expectations. Are you among the five friends that can be listed in your circle or you are just a figure to add onto the list?

Be a real friend. Be the support system. Don't be the enemy in a sheep's clothing. Stop being a frenemy.

 Don't stay in a friendship that is dead because of your monitoring spirits, envy, and jealousy.

If you can't be a real friend, Quit.

Choose a struggle, it is either you are in or out.

 The level of jealousy and envy in people is really wanting. No wonder it gets harder to share the joys and successes because friendships even drift apart. It is easy for someone to choke almost to death when they hear so and so has had a breakthrough. A pay rise. A promotion.

The face suddenly changes, becomes darker.  The voice becomes hoarse to a point they cannot even term the word, 'congratulations'

I am talking to the human inside you.

Celebrate others. Celebrate others when they get a new job even though you are struggling to make ends meet.

Celebrate others when they get scholarships and you got a reject. 

By all means, celebrate others when they get a set of twins that you have so desired.

 I repeat celebrate others when they get married though no one is even winking at you.

Celebrate others when they get their green card and they are off to the 'land of milk and honey'

Celebrate others when they have been able to work on a broken relationship and the pieces have made a glamorous piece.

Celebrate your friends when they make an improvement in their grades, business, and life in general.

Celebrate when your friend is able to make bold steps in the unknown instead of wishing for their failure and feeling them with doubts.

Stop having a heavy burden and heart when others have found a reason to celebrate.

Let it flow from deep inside you. 

Let the celebrations be genuine.

You know why, because it brings joy to you too. It reignites your belief. You even glow much better.

Celebrate because you realize time and chance happen to everyone. It is their moment and time to shine, your time will come.

Celebrate others because your blessings are different. Blessings are packaged in different ways but packaged to fit the receiver and their life's purpose. Don't compete with others' blessings. 

Celebrate others because it is even good for your health, spirit, and soul. Aren't you tired of going to the pharmacy for some over the counter drugs because the blood pressure has shot high due to others wins and gains and you already are questioning, why not you? Why would you feel jealous and find it hard to celebrate someone because they were finally able to buy themselves a Vitz and you have two range rovers? Does it even make sense?

And finally, celebrate someone because give and it shall come back to you. When your time comes you will be celebrated. People will sink in your joy with you. Laughter will surround you. It will raise you to your next celebration. Celebrate people. It will not hurt. Start today