WE ALL tend to choose like-minded friends that have a similar outlook on life as ourselves so being with them makes one feel good.

Hence those we are probably most close to will perhaps not be our spouses or indeed family members.

We court, get married, intending to spend a life together.

Marriages, however, can end, with us looking at our partners and knowing they are not our best friends.

Equally there are many layers of commitment to a friendship.

Not all of them need physical contact. Some of mine are Facebook friends where a mutual respect and similar outlooks on topics has bound us together.

Mary, from Iowa, is a classic example as she showed when commenting on last week’s subject in my column.

This second necessary lockdown has put a tremendous strain on the self-employed and the vulnerable, so I’m using this time to concentrate and reflect on what I have instead of what has been removed.

One last thought: The measure and depth of love and friendship can be adequately measured by how much one will accommodate the needs and desires of others. Remember this lockdown is only temporary, but love and goodwill will outweigh and transcend everything.

Stay tuned for another column from Manuela next week.