Father Tony and Friendship

I'm just back from a fabulous few days off. My love of travel is stymied by my meager funds, so I spent the few days at home. A "staycation", if you're willing to allow that horrible word into your lexicon. This is an excellent choice when one has only a short time away from responsibility and only a small sum to spend. I'm quite relaxed now, which was the goal.

Father Tony, in his advice column at Bilerico, wrote recently about friendship. I expected his thoughts to be eloquent and insightful, and my expectations were again rewarded. His recommendations, though, focused more on what one's responsibilities are for a successful friendship. What, then, can one ethically expect from others in the same situation? Can we expect anything from a friend? Does "unconditional love" mean that one expects nothing in return? Is there such a thing?

I'm not sure I have an answer. My judgement of character has been off-kilter as of late. I don't even think I have any specific expectations that I would apply to all of my friends. My expectations for them are individual, and rely on my understanding of their personality and character. Maybe the best thing is to have no expectations at all, and just be honest with yourself about the kind of relationship you have with this person. All friendships are not cut from the same cloth.