I've had plenty of friends throughout my life, but I always felt like I was missing that one big friendship that so many other women seemed to have. As an only child, I had always longed for a sister. As an adult, all I wanted was a true best friend to fill that vacancy.

When I was thirty-two, I was living my dream as a stay-at-home mom and then my world came crashing down. On a Tuesday afternoon in May of 2018 I was diagnosed with a stage-two cancer. My days of dates, trips to the zoo, and lazy mornings at home with my twenty-one-month-old son turned into appointments with doctors, terrifying body scans and a whole lot of uncertainty.

Over the course of eight months I got cycles of treatment. While the pain and side effects were almost unbearable, the fear and anxiety that developed were even worse. My husband and parents were an amazing support system. However, I still felt depressed because it was impossible for them to figure out what I was going through both physically and emotionally. But I couldn't expect them to. Plus, I wanted to be strong for them so that they could in turn be strong for my son. I never missed having a sister more than I did during that time.

Eventually I found myself wishing for a "cancer friend" so that I could relate to someone who knew what I was going through. I would sit in the ward and look around the room, trying to find someone to befriend. I met some wonderful people, but somehow I never connected with them. Later, I continued to try to find a "cancer friend"; but in vain. So gradually I became despondent about the potential for finding such a friend.

Unexpectedly, I found what I needed in the most unlikely places. In my son's preschool, I met with a young mum called Leah, who also had a cancer. We had much in common and became the closest friends. We sometimes compared our situation to having been to war. We went to battle for our lives and found it became easier for us to do it together.

How to Make Friends with Someone You’ve Never Spoken to Before

Friendship is an important aspect of life. Perhaps there are new persons in your school who seem cool or fun, and you’d like to get to know them. But sometimes making friends can seem tough. 【小题1】

Smile.

When you see them, greet them with a kind smile. 【小题2】 You may have never smiled at them before, so they may have no idea that you want to be friends with them. Smiling will plant a seed in their mind that you have some level of interest.

Greet them with a “hello.”

If you see them in the mornings, greet them with a “hello”. This will likely begin to spark an interest in them to know more about you and to talk to you. This will also guarantee that they notice you.

【小题3】

This is the most basic first step in making friends. Take a moment to approach them when you have some downtime and introduce yourself by name. You might say “Hi, my name is Henry Locklear. I’m a junior. What’s your name?”

Ask your mutual (互相的) friends to introduce you.

If you have mutual friends with this person, a great way to make their acquaintance (熟人) is to have your friends introduce you to them. 【小题4】 If the two of you have mutual friends, it is all the more likely that you will hit it off as well.

Ask a favor.

One way to begin having small conversations with them is to ask for a small favor. This is good way to guarantee that you are noticed. 【小题5】. Probably, you will be friends after that.

Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don't give friendship back That is why some friendships don 't last very long. To have a friend you must lean to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want yourfriend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules: be honest, be generous; be understanding.

Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you don 't tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven 't been honest, you may lose your friend's trust. Good friends always count on onc another to speak and act honestly.

Generosity means sharing and makes a friendship grow. You should share your ideas and feelings with your friends.These can be very valuable to them.They tell your friends what is important to you. By sharing them you help your friendsknow you better.

Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and help with problems. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve.Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend's place so you can understand the problem better.

No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends, you must practice honesty, gencrosity and understanding.