I know the bible says to everything there is a season, so in conjunction with that friendships have seasons and some seasons are just longer than others.
I have a had a few really, really great friends. I still cherish the memories and times I've spent with the ones who felt it necessary to move on or that I have had to let go of. The others I always wonder why we still stick together, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
My friends do not define me, nor do I define them. My friends are simply there for me when I need them to be there for me. We each have our own definition of friendship which is only expressed and defined through the feelings we share with each other.
It's like the bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:11 when I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. When I was younger I felt as though all my friends needed to understand my friendships with other people in order for all of us to be around each other. It was necessary for friend 'A' to understand why I had developed a friendship with friend 'B'. I was constantly giving disclaimers and warnings for the attitudes and lifestyles of other people. As an adult I am no longer living like that. Now, if friend A doesn't understand my friendship with friend B--that's okay. A and B do not have to get along, hang out, or even talk unless they want to.
I no longer feel like everyone needs to get along. No excuse has to be made to be friends. I care about that person, I feel good when I am around them and normally I am getting and giving different things in my friendship with Friend A than I am in my friendship with Friend B. There are times when I wish that I could have it all in one person--then I wouldn't have to juggle so many different places or different attitudes but then I wouldn't have a balance.
I am constantly seeking my friends opinions on things and it's mostly because of the vast differences of opinions that I receive. I appreciate each and everyone of my friends and I hope they all know it. Whether we were friends in middle school, high school, college, and beyond, whether we talk daily, weekly, monthly, or otherwise. We don't have to all have fun together--but I would like it if we could all get along and respect each other's friendships or lack thereof.
I hope that everyone is mindful in their own friendships about making sure that their needs are satisfied and are not trying to please or satisfy people who are on the outside of that relationship looking in. Make sure that you are pleased with the outcome of the events that happen within that relationship. Love is a feeling that is shared between two people--there is no duplicating or justifying the kind of feelings that are shared. Love can not be expressed in words--though we often try, it is something that has to be felt and experienced and while we can often start the process to developing friendships we have little to no control as to where they will take us.
Friendship is only a journey that can be experienced by the people taking it. Just enjoy it for it's season......
My inspiration: My favorite song from Kindergarten.
