Friendships come in all shapes, sizes, endurance and depth. You can have a friendship since babyhood and enjoy it everyday of the endurance of it. And you can want it to be different at different times.
We usually find friends at a mutual point. Meaning at something we obviously both enjoy. Sometimes that something is a one time thing for one of you and a long time thing for the other. I have met people at social functions and had great time with them there and exchanged numbers and it has continued into something special.
I have also met people that I thought would be fun to know, but they didn't share that thought.
What makes a friend a friend?
Mutual likes or dislikes. Sympathy for your sorrows, whether major or minor. Involvement in your life.
There are immediate friends . There are works in progress friends. And there are longtime friends.
Immediate friends are those that when you meet you have camaraderie with that rivals friendship from the cradle.
Works in progress friends are the ones you meet and like, but time intervenes and you lose contact, and then there they are again. And this time you work a little harder staying in contact and the relationship deepens a bit into a friendship that is close.
The longtime friends are the ones you usually meet when you are young or you children are young and as parents you have a mutual ground to work from.
And sometimes you make friends and never meet. I have several friends that I have never met in person, but have met online. I have some of those from a group of writers that met through the group 500 Words a Day.
No matter where you meet, it seems the same thing is true of all friendships: they fill a space in your heart and life that needed an oomph and a love.
Here's to all my friends: Thanks for being there.
Hi Stella - Nice post. I also think that there are friends who appear in your life at a certain point when you need what they can offer and then they might well disappear from your life in the future. I've certainly experienced that type of friendship too. But there's nothing nicer than meeting up with a long-term friend who knows you inside out and having a good laugh. I love that.
ReplyDeleteStella, I really like this! I have some friends in all those categories. And then there are the people I thought would make great friends, but then they were different than I thought and we never talk at all. But that's okay, because I have a handful of close, trusted friends who I know love me for just who I am! They are such a blessing. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for this! Stopping by from the A to Z~ I'm at http://jaimieramsey.com. :)