friendship

I read somewhere ''You cannot choose your relatives but you can choose friends, that's why you end up bonding more with the latter" ....well, its true to a large extent....family is what we have been given on a platter and we can either nurture the relationship or look elsewhere....what do most people do ??? look elsewhere ! because nurturing takes time and effort and who has the time anyways ??? So, the easiest is to get hold of people with a similar mindset as ours and call them ''friends''.....these so called friends become the focus of our attention and family is put on the backburner , till one fine day we need medical or financial help and we seek the ones we got on ''platter''.....it becomes obligatory for family to help...''where are your friends???'', nobody dare ask.....
Agreed that all relations are a two way street but have we tried to tread one way at least or have we been judgemental before trying that this won't work?
My mother-in-law once told me that to nurture a kid from birth is as tough as eating the flesh on the palm of your hand....well, I agree with her because we did it, alongwith household chores, without having a maid to help like recent times....I think that holds true about relationships as well (this topic is very close to my heart :-))........if time and effort is put into nurturing relations at home , we will have friends around us all the time....''but'', it has to be a two way street.....one way street will not work at all....
Friendship is easy to create but very difficult to keep because the most common mistake people make is to take the other for granted....please treat all relations as if you are going to lose them tomorrow, so precious !!!! coz what if you were to lose one of them ????....
I hate to be taken for granted and with my actions make people know it too , though unsuccessfully most times, :-).......
please value relationships.....what if your parents had taken you for granted when you were born ??? you wouldnt have survived, so thank them each day !!!!!