Traditional wedding vows include the now almost cliched phrases “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health”. Of course, implied are all the in-between stages.

The extremes of the scale are used because all relationships, between couples, friends, coworkers, show their strength not by getting through the good times but by surviving the bad. This is not to say that the absence of bad means a weaker relationship. But when things get rough we can see what the relationship truly has under the surface.

The expression “fair-weather friend” was coined to describe those friends that disappear when things get a little more difficult, when things stop being fun. Of course, both parties need to be aware of how they behave in those situations. Is it that your “friends” leave you hanging in your down times? Or do you actually push away your friends when they might help you most? A true friendship will push through these patches. Your friends will be there for you when you need them, and you in turn will lean on them if you need their help.

Just reminding us all to look at the friendships that we value and make sure we are not only focusing on the good times.