The Four Loves: Philia

Friendship, says Lewis, is actually experienced for real by a very few people. In my experience, this is true, and I would go even further with it. I would say that in general, more females experience the friendship Lewis describes ("In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out"). Guys can have loads and loads of companions who they can joke with, have fun with, and get along with, but they might never get down to discussing life and life's problems with their companions. Some male companions can become friends and some men might have a number of good friends, but in my opinion, more girls will have good friends than guys. Girls also might have companions to share fun times with, but because of how females behave, they are more prone to have good friends.
In many cases, girls create conflicts among companions much easier than boys do, and because they are required to work through their conflicts, they in turn become less of companions and more of friends, because they see each and every emotion of each other. Guys generally show one or two sides of themselves with their companions and keep the rest of themselves hidden. I do not suggest that there are no exceptions. There are many exceptions. Though Lewis says this friendship is 'non-natural', it is also part of being a child of God. Unnatural though it may be, friendship should be a part of ever Christian's life, since friendship as Lewis describes it is intimacy, which is vulnerability, which is sharing yourself with others, which is being a servant.