Friends have a powerful influence in my life because they change me in ways I couldn’t even imagine. They brought me through my trial, when I needed their strength to go on. Sometimes, they came in the midst of defeat, when I needed a shoulder to cry on. I felt their silent support and their gift to just be there. They gave me the subprime happiness in life: the conviction that I am loved. Someone who has friends shows friendships. Marcel Proust said: “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy ; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”