Dear reader, I want you to ask yourself these questions: Does true friendship exist? If yes, do I cultivate and maintain it? When was the last time I made my friends happy? Don't tell me your answers, just keep them for yourself.

You'll agree with me that it's wonderful to have friends around you. Without them you'll probably feel so lonely and each time you'll be yearning for company. Without friends you might be talking to yourself just because you have no one to talk to. So, friends are a treasure that we should always cherish in our lives.

But who is a friend? It is that person who is not usually from your family and whom you have known very well in that you like him/her a lot. In today's advanced world of technology, there are two ways you can make friends.

Two ways of Making Friends

1.) Online that is through Internet's social networking sites.

2.) Offline-social parties and gatherings etc.

With internet at our disposal and the rise of social networking sites, making friends has become such an easy thing. You get to chat and share opinions with people you hardly know as long as they accept your friendship by adding you as a friend.

To say the truth, social networking sites have helped the youth from boredom. Otherwise some of them could have ended up being the devil's workshop.

But the big question is: How do you cultivate and maintain your friendship?

Four Tips for Cultivating and Maintaining Friendship

1.) Gifts

Frankly speaking, friends get excited when they receive gifts. It makes them realize that they're valued. Gifts strengthen friendship bonds. The good news is that social networking sites have got variety of gifts to choose from. Surprise your friends by sending them these gifts. You can also consider sending these gifts to your friends during birthdays, Christmas or any other occasion.

Once your friends receive them they'll be happy. They might also reciprocate this thus improving the relationship between you and them.

2.) Jokes

Jokes are another way of strengthening friendship bond. They make your friends laugh. Jokes will switch one from sadness to happiness. If your joke is extremely funny, then your friends won't help their tears from flowing down their cheeks as a result of laughing. Your jokes will make your friends to miss you when you're not with them.

3.) Friendship Quotes

There are many friendship quotes available on the internet. Sending friendship quotes to your friends is one way of being in touch with them. Some of the friendship quotes are well decorated in many ways e.g in the form of cards. You feel happy once you receive wonderful and encouraging quotes from your friends. Your friends will also feel the same way if only they receive them from you.

4.) Poems

There are many friendship poems online. The purpose of these poems is to ensure that friends are in touch and for encouraging one another. They make friends to realize the importance of friendship.

There you have the tips, go ahead and strengthen your friendship by using these four tips.

Author's Bio: 

I'm revealing to you top ten gift ideas that are memorable, you can use them to find a gift to give your best friend during his or her birthday. Click this link, best friend birthday gift ideas and while there you'll find unique birthday gifts that you can use to nature your friendship.

The author of this article is Joshua Nyamache and together with other team members they are working on Nikenya website, a website that you connect with friends and read articles about the contentious issues of all time.