I was recently reminded of the old saying, “Friends do not say ‘but’.” Sentences that begin with, “I love him, but…” or, “We are good friends, but…” mean what you hear next disqualify the first part of the sentence. True friends do not qualify their love or friendship. In a sentence like that, “but” is a disclaimer that would never come out of a true friend’s mouth. I was in a conversation where a guy’s name came up and the speaker said, “we all know he and I are good friends, but he’s just not good at that.” Friends do not talk about friends that way. You may talk privately with your friend about an area or issue where you perceive they are struggling or even wrong, but you never talk about it with someone else. When that is done it is a pretty good sign the speaker is far from being a real friend. The world needs more true friends and it needs to see examples of them as well. Today be a true friend and watch those around you gravitate toward your influence.