Having a relationship is a lot like growing a garden. With careful planning, you choose what you are going to grow and you select a location for the garden. The garden is started when you plant the seeds. Before you start a relationship, you choose who you are going to befriend, and the planting of this relationship is a simple "hello." Planning and planting the seeds, however, are only the beginning -- the plants don't begin to grow immediately, and neither do relationships. You must water the seeds every day in order for them to grow. You also have to take care of the relationship by talking with the other person and learning more about him or her. It takes much time, patience, and care. Even when the plants do begin to grow and flower, you must still water them or they will die, just as in a relationship, where you can't stop being friendly after the relationship flowers. You must also weed the garden, ridding it of anything that will harm the plants you worked so hard to grow. In a relationship, you have to resolve all arguments before they strangle the friendship. As long as you take care of the plants, you can admire their beauty and reap their fruits, and as long as you are a goo friend, you can benefit from having one yourself. Once you grow plants, you can take their seeds and use them to grow more plants, and you can use the seeds of friendship, kindness and understanding, to make more friends, but only if you give the same care to each plant and each friend, not if you give all your attention to one and neglect the others. If you do this, you will end up with a drowned plant, many dead, dried plants, a friend who's sick of you, and many lonely friends. If you do give careful attention to each plant, you can have a beautiful garden and a wonderful harvest. If you give the right amount of attention to all your friends, you will have many wonderful, caring people to be there for you. Growing a garden can be difficult and demanding, but the beauty and benefits of your healthy garden will make it well worth the work. Being a friend can sometimes be trying, but in hard times, you will be thankful that all your hard work bore you so many great friends.