พอดีไปนั่ง “บ้านเพื่อน” เหลือบไปเห็นป้ายแขวนอยู่บนเสาป้ายหนึ่ง

เลยจดชื่อเรื่อง  แล้วก็ผู้แต่ง กลับมา search แล้วก็ได้มาเป็น entry นี้

What is a friend? I will tell you.
It is a person with whom you dare to be yourself.

Your soul can be naked with him.

He seems to ask of you to put on nothing, only to be what you are.

He does not want you to be better or worse.

When you are with him, you feel as a prisoner feels

who has been declared innocent.

You do not have to be on your guard. You can say what you think,

so long as it is genuinely you. He understands those contradictions

in your nature that lead others to misjudge you.

With him you breathe freely. You can avow you little vanities

and envies and hates and vicious sparks, your meanesses

and absurdities and, in opening them up to him,

they are lost, dissolved on the white ocean of his loyalty.

He understands. You do not have to be careful.

You can abuse him, neglect him, tolerate him. Best of all,

you can keep still with him. It makes no matter.

He likes you he is like a fire that purges to the bone.

He understands. He understands.

You can weep with him, sin with him, laugh with him,

pray with him. Through it all and underneath he sees,
knows and loves you.

A friend?

What is a friend? Just one, I repeat,

with whom you dare to be yourself.

……..C.Raymond Beran