True friends are like flawless diamonds, very valuable and hard to come by. Like perfect diamonds, a true friend lasts forever, is irreplaceable, and can endure the worst damage while only coming away with a scratch or two. So it stands to reason that pseudo-friends are cheap imitations of this wonderful rarity, much like cubic zirconia. Zirconia friends, while outwardly appearing to be the same as a diamond, are much weaker and do not last. Lucky for me, I unearthed a rare diamond friend amongst tons of zirconias.
             Diamond Dan was located in southern Nevada, buried in a heap of resentment and anger due to the former relationship with his stepbrother, Wes. After reconciling with Wes, I found Dan, who I thought would turn out to be another zirconia. Much to my surprise, after some spit and polish (or lengthy conversation), I discovered that Dan wasn't some cheap knockoff, he was the real deal. So tossing aside the weird emotional jumble that is Wes, as I knew he would be rather disapproving of my befriending Dan, I took in this diamond. At the time, Dan was fractured, due to the end of his relationship with a very skilled zirconia. Even so, his diamond qualities glittered within. He came through the situation just fine, and has been my rock during the times I stumbled through life.
             There are certain qualities diamond friends, like Dan, are required to have. They should be empathetic (the phrase "feel my pain" rings true). Sympathy only goes so far, and is truly a quality of the cubic zirconia. It is quite easy to pity someone; it's another thing entirely to feel the burden of a loved one's pain. Diamond friends should also be brutally honest. Lies fracture a friendship and in large quantities, destroy it entirely. "Diamonds are forever" is another quality. True friends are there for you continuously, through good and bad. It's quite easy for a zirc
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