Some Thoughts on Friendship
"The antidote for fifty enemies is one friend." ~Aristotle
I’ve been thinking a lot about friendships lately. I am richly blessed in the friend department.
In my live I have been through many changes, gone on many adventures, indulged in different passions, and have been through a few major relationships. I am grateful for my friends who have stuck with me even when I may have embarked on paths they couldn’t understand or didn’t agree with. That is what marks a true friend right? Well one of the things.
A true friend is someone who lets you make mistakes and doesn't say "I told you so," when you realize later you've made a mistake. A true friend is someone who sticks with you when the whole world thinks you've changed radically; the true friend sees the real you inside, the same person who has always been there. A true friend is someone with whom you can always pick up where you left off ,even if it is years later. A true friend also is someone who is unafraid to tell you when they think you are making a mistake, but in a loving and compassionate manner.
Why do we place less importance on our friendships than we do on our romantic relationships? People are not shy to say they work on their marriages but when it comes to friendships many of us jump ship when things get difficult, we avoid painful or awkward conversations, we feel ashamed to admit when our feelings are hurt. That is not to say every friendship should last forever, just like every romantic relationship should not last forever. However, I think that when things get difficult in any important relationship, one should not just quit without trying to repair the relationship. After all, our lovers come and go, our hearts get broken, parents will eventually die, children grow up and start their own families; who better to see us through all of life’s changes than our really close friends?
So if you are one of the people I count as my close friend, thank you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for seeing me. Thank you for standing by me. Thank you for letting me see you. The most beautiful gift we can give is our authentic selves.
I’ve been thinking a lot about friendships lately. I am richly blessed in the friend department.
In my live I have been through many changes, gone on many adventures, indulged in different passions, and have been through a few major relationships. I am grateful for my friends who have stuck with me even when I may have embarked on paths they couldn’t understand or didn’t agree with. That is what marks a true friend right? Well one of the things.
A true friend is someone who lets you make mistakes and doesn't say "I told you so," when you realize later you've made a mistake. A true friend is someone who sticks with you when the whole world thinks you've changed radically; the true friend sees the real you inside, the same person who has always been there. A true friend is someone with whom you can always pick up where you left off ,even if it is years later. A true friend also is someone who is unafraid to tell you when they think you are making a mistake, but in a loving and compassionate manner.
Why do we place less importance on our friendships than we do on our romantic relationships? People are not shy to say they work on their marriages but when it comes to friendships many of us jump ship when things get difficult, we avoid painful or awkward conversations, we feel ashamed to admit when our feelings are hurt. That is not to say every friendship should last forever, just like every romantic relationship should not last forever. However, I think that when things get difficult in any important relationship, one should not just quit without trying to repair the relationship. After all, our lovers come and go, our hearts get broken, parents will eventually die, children grow up and start their own families; who better to see us through all of life’s changes than our really close friends?
So if you are one of the people I count as my close friend, thank you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for seeing me. Thank you for standing by me. Thank you for letting me see you. The most beautiful gift we can give is our authentic selves.
Yes! This, my love! Exactly the beauty I see in you, right here in words.
ReplyDeleteThank you for seeing me. I love you with my whole heart.
DeleteI've always wondered the same thing. Yet, I can also look back and see myself doing those very same things in friendships. I think this is why my circle has gotten smaller and I'm grateful to those who have stuck around and who listen with compassion when I try to break those old patterns. Thank you for standing by me and seeing me. Love to you.
ReplyDeleteWendi, I love you. You are fiercely loyal, always compassionate; you have always encouraged me to take care of myself; you are always there when I need a friend. I am happy that I have been able to be a good friend to you as well.
Delete