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i wonder sometimes if we don’t take the whole concept of friendship for granted…
it makes me sad, but i wonder how often the people we refer to as our friends are really no more than acquaintances with whom we share common interests or personalities, shared schedules, or similar priorities.
friendship is an odd thing. you can spend years walking and working side by side with people, but have no depth of friendship at all. you can share core beliefs, but be worlds apart. you can talk about all kinds of different subjects, but really know nothing about each other. you can laugh and joke and even cry together, but remain closed books.
strange, isn’t it?
on the other hand, you can spend years apart and be limited to a handful of conversations and emails…but the moment you get together, the bond of friendship is as deep and profound as it has ever been.
you can have completely different personalities and share few, if any, common interests…but experience the most profound loyalty and commitment to each other.
you can be different ages…you can be in different economic brackets…you can have different political positions…you can be different races..or a hundred other differences…and still have the deepest of comradery and trust that is beyond comprehension.
real friendship is just that way.
real friendship is where uniqueness is accepted…
where forgiveness flows without explanation…
where trust does not have to be earned…
where differences are affirmed…
where loyalty is assumed…
where the unspoken is welcomed…
where loneliness and brokenness is not judged…
where conflict and confrontation is not avoided…
where pain is shared…
where grace and mercy are given and received…
where the needs of the other are always placed ahead of self…
where mistakes are compassionately tolerated…
where hidden agendas are non-existent…
where differences are embraced…
where successes and failures are equally celebrated…
real friendship is where fun and laughter and eating and sharing and sacrificing and crying and hugging and playing and praying are simply the natural by-products of people who have entered each other’s lives, seen both the good and the not so good, and determine to stay side-by-side no matter what.
do you have those kinds of friends?
are you that kind of friend to others?
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