What does true friendship look like to you?
What does real love and compassion mean?
I have been reflecting on these questions over the past few days and I guess everyone will have their own understanding of what it means...For me, true friendship is genuine - it's both happy and sad, through the good times and the hard times. For me, it means accepting one another for where you are at TODAY in this present moment. Friendship means just being present with that person and not wishing things to be any other way...Sometimes that might mean waiting patiently on them when they are running late, laughing at their personality quirks and loving them for it, recognizing the unique differences that we all have...True friendship may mean washing their laundry or cooking them a meal when they are sick, it could mean any number of things...But I think it must mean more than just a "like" on a Facebook page.
I have been observing a lot lately and just sitting back quietly contemplating how things have changed over the years in our culture and how we seem to be struggling to hold on to some of these really valuable concepts - like true friendship...We have seemed to exchange them for quick/fast results. Like the more "friends" you collect the more popular and awesome you must be in this world. I think we have lost sight of what it means to actually BE a friend. (When I say, "we" of course I am speaking collectively of our society, and that certainly doesn't mean that there aren't valuable friendships happening every single day. It just would seem that we are drifting further away from this place where people used to really care about one another on a deeper level)
I challenge you if you are reading this to take a moment and just think about the relationships you are in. What part have you played in deepening that relationship? What have you done to truly reach out and genuinely show you care? Do you have meaningful conversations with that "friend" or do you just discuss the weather or the latest TV show?
What steps could you take to move your relationships into deeper waters? Do you need to start asking more meaningful questions like - "What is God doing in your life?" "How have you been challenged this week, and how did you choose to respond to that challenge?" "What have you done this week that moved your spirit and made you feel alive?"
Do you need to make a phone call and check on someone you care about? Do you need to send a card or a gift of love to just let them know that they aren't alone in this world? What actions do you need to take in order to move away from this new culture of "social media relationships"...and how can we as a society get back to the place where folks genuinely took time to care for one another?
This week I was so very privileged to meet up with two of my dearest and oldest friends, and it rejuvenated my soul like nothing else. Being with these two women this week just lifted me up so much and encouraged me so deeply. To love and to be loved - BY CHOICE - what a powerful thing that is...THAT is true friendship!!
*As a side note, I just offer up so much gratitude for the incredible weather and beautiful moments of these past couple of days. I feel so refreshed and alive! I had the most wonderful walk this morning with Helen through the Botanical Gardens at UAF - if you haven't been, you should really check it out!
