In this age of online chat rooms, social networking pages and email, the definition of friendship has expanded. Although some people will never understand how others can be so close to someone they have never seen in person, others realize that the changing world also means the bonds of friendships are not limited to speaking face to face, going to dinner or talking on the telephone. This new category of friendships is no less important than those made 20 years ago on the playground at school, they just require a different set of rules and an understanding of how to nurture new beginnings through an alternate form of communication.

Finding friends online is probably much easier than you'd first think. After all, the whole basis of being on a social networking page is to find like-minded individuals who you can discuss various topics with, get information from, and socialize with. Their structures are simple to navigate and can be tailored to match your personality and privacy needs. Authorized users can post comments, invite people to join their profile as a friend or email other members. Members can search for friends by where they live, where they attended school and by age. Setting your profile to "public" in the account settings allows prospective friends to view your page and see if you fit what they are looking for in a cyber friend too.

If you're next high school reunion is years away and you are wanting to find friends that have moved, married or just disappeared from your life, using social networking sites is a quiet but incredibly useful tool. Just finding one person who may have a profile on one of these pages can open up your world to finding old classmates who may have been searching for you too.

Once you find your old classmates, spend some time re-connecting with them by going to dinner and holding social gatherings once and awhile. If you live in different states, take some time to call them and talk to them often. Even sending a quick email will let your old classmates know how much you appreciate them in your life. A good friend is hard to come by and it is even harder for adults to make friends since we are limited to the people we work with and some social gatherings. Why not spending time nurturing a friendship that you have already created?

There is no greater feeling than having the support of a loving circle of people in your life that you can share your sorrow and your triumphs with and know that you will be there to return the favor. You may not be able to find every friend you're missing, but with a little online time you can begin the search to reconnect with past relationships that meant a lot to you and open the door to new and more mature friendships with those people.