Friendship

Lately, I have been pondering the meaning of friendship. I think for most people, they only want to be friends with someone when it's convienent. I have two friends who have been close for years, and now they've come to this bump in the road and things are difficult. One of them is extremely frustrated with the other and doesn't understand why she can't make time to hang out and/or talk. However, the other is very busy with school and work and does not have a lot of extra time. It breaks my heart to watch these two girls that I love very much go through this. The good news is that they both are trying.

I went through something similar about a year ago when I was having a hard time accepting Kristi getting married. I felt as if I had been replaced or pushed aside. However, now I look back and I realize that I was just feeling very hurt because my best friend was going on with her life and I couldn't come along for the ride. I think that's what is going on with these two girls.

In high school, it's so much easier to be friends when you see that person everyday and you don't have a demanding job. But when you get into college, you're thrown into the real world. You can't hang out like you did in the good old days. This is life and life is not fun. It's tough. When I step back and look at my life in this aspect, I realize that just because you don't hang out often or talk all the time does not mean you aren't friends anymore. I am still very good friends with Kristi, and I am thankful for that. Another example is my sister Kamee and her best friend from High School, Faith. They were inseperable in High School, yet now they both are married with kids and Faith has moved to Tennesse. Obviously, they don't hang out like they used to, but I do know that they keep in contact and try to talk as often as possible. That friendship is still there. It will always be there.

Friendship or any kind of relationship should not be defined by distance or time. It is the bond you share and what you do with that bond that counts.

"Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude." -Timothy Bentley