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SCMP Reporter

A few days ago, someone asked me 'Do we really need friends?'
My answer was: 'Absolutely!'
Friends are important. When I am happy, they share my joy. When I am sad, they comfort me. When I am shy, they give me courage and, when I am disappointed, they give me encouragement.
My friends always stand by me. Otherwise, life would be colourless.
But friendship is never guaranteed. I think fate decides who we meet and who we become friends with.
Treasure your friends, they are precious.
Leung King-man, Christian Alliance S.C. Chan Memorial College
From the Editor
Thanks for your letter, King-man. Friends certainly are precious. It is always great to have someone to share the special moments of your life. As the American poet Ralph Waldo  Emerson said: 'A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.'
Having a really good friend is like discovering a whole new world of possibilities in life. With them, you make the memories that will make you smile. Very often, just knowing that a friend will be  around if there is trouble, gives us the power to try things when we would  normally be too scared.
In the west, people choose to  remember their old friends during New Year. They think about the good times they have had and sing the song Auld Lang Syne written by the famous Scottish poet Robbie Burns. You might like to look it up on the Web.
Susan, Editor



Friends a 'masterpiece ofnature'