The Sure Shelter

Stage 5 (the highest stage) 'The Sure Shelter': The title comes from a passage in one of the apocryphal books of the Old Testament. 'A faithful friend is a sure shelter: whoever finds one has found a rare treasure' (Ecclesiasticus, 6:14). At this stage, friendship is perceived as a deep and lasting relationship of trust, fidelity, and unconditional acceptance. As an exceptionally gifted twelve-year-old boy described it to me: 'A real friend is a place you go when you need to take off the masks. You can say what you want to your friend because you know that your friend will really listen and even if he doesn't like what you say, he will still like you. You can take off your camouflage with a real friend and still feel safe.'

--Exceptionally Gifted Children (2nd ed.), Miraca U.M. Gross