Everyone needs friends. We all like to feel close to someone. It is nice to have a friend to talk, laugh and do things with. Surely, sometimes we need to be alone. We don’t always want people around. But we would feel lonely if we never had a friend.

No two people are the same. Sometimes friends don’t get along well. That doesn’t mean that they no longer like each other. Most of the time they will go on being friends. Sometimes friends move away. Then we feel very sad. We miss them very much. But we can call them and write to them. Maybe we would never see them again. And we can make new friends. It is surprising to find out how much we like new people when we get to know them. Families sometimes name their children after a close friend. Many places are named after men and women, if they are friendly to people in a town. Some libraries are named this way. So are some schools. We think of these people when we go to these places.

There’s more good news for people, if they have friends. These people live longer than those people who don’t have friends. Why? It could be that they are happier. Being happy helps you stay well. Or it could be just knowing that someone cares about you. If someone cares about you, you take better care of yourself.

In choosing a friend, one should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You can have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair-weather friends. They will be with you as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down, they will run away. How do I know when I have found a good friend?

In my opinion, understanding is the most important quality in choosing a good friend. A good friend tries to understand how another person is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to think of ways to be helpful. He is also a good listener.

At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults in others. He notices their good points. In short, a friend will try to understand me and accept me.

Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on a good friend. If he tells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time, I can be sure that he will be there. If I need a favor, he will do his best to help me. If I am in trouble, he will not run away from me.

There is a fourth quality that makes friend special. A special friend is someone with whom we can have fun. We should enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I especially like friends who are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We share experiences and learn from each other. A good friend has a sense of humor, too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share in the joy of being friends. And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me.

When I meet someone that is reliable, honest, and understanding, I know I’ve found a good friend.

Naima Souissi and Saida Chehbouni cried as they hugged for the first time in 16 years when they met up in New York City. Their daughters, Nissma Bencheikh, 19, and Roaya Jannatipour, 18, met when they were both freshmen (大一新生) at the University of California, Berkeley. The two became fast friends. “We hit it off right away. We’re both pre-med (医科大学预科班的) and Canadian,” said Nissma.

The two had such a great bond (联系) that they decided to share an apartment during their second year, and on the move-in day the pair made a surprising discovery. “I was having a video chat with my mom in my room, and I thought I’d bring her out to meet Nissma’s dad,” Roaya said. Nissma added, “They talked for only a few minutes ... but in that short time we realized that not only were they neighbors, but our moms were actually best friends 16 years ago.”

The two friends, who at first thought they had met for the first time at university, even found out that they had photos together as babies that their mothers took. The two even found out that their mothers went to college together.

Sixteen years ago, their life separated the two best friends after Roaya’s family moved from Canada to California, and Nissma’s family relocated to northern Virginia, putting a distance of over 2,000 miles between the families.

Roaya said her mother had recently been trying to find Nissma’s mother on Facebook, and that when the two first separated they both did not have a computer or even a phone, making it difficult to keep in touch.

Before their reunion, Nissma told ABC News that she was excited that the pair met again, saying, “A best friend is a best friend even when 16 years passed.”