Friendship
This week’s challenge is to reach out to a friend. It can be a new acquaintance or an old friend you haven’t talk to in a while. Or maybe a neighbor or sibling you haven’t talked to lately. Try to make an added effort this week to contact them.
Friendship is so important as a mom. So much of who I am now came because of friendships, both old and new. I remember when my kids were younger. I had a dear friend that was a medical assistant and I would call her anytime my kids were sick and she’d help me decide if I should take them to the doctor or not. Another friend would go out on walks with me and we would talk while we pushed strollers. A good friend who lives far away got me started on better health. Another friend taught me how to can peaches and salsa. Another taught me how to toll paint. These friends probably have no idea what a difference they have made in my life! I’ve had lunch and visited with friends from high school. After 20 years, it seems like no time has passed. I have had so many friends touch my life. Even just the little things they do make all the difference.
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friendship does take some work. As I get older, I find myself withdrawing from my friends. I find myself busy with my everyday chores and start to focus on my to-do list and not my friend-list. You can slowly forget how to be a friend. Kevin J. Worthen said, “No one can flourish in isolation.” I’ve seen that. As I withdraw from people, I sense a loss for goodness I used to have. It really is important to make an extra effort and to reach out of our comfort zone to befriend others. Sometimes just talking with someone who has been through what you have been through, makes all the difference! Sometimes you just need a friend to listen to you, or give you advice, or help you see the other side of the argument. I have had friends do all of that in the past!
Friendship will help you in so many ways. It gives you strength through challenging times. Hope when you are lacking. It is nice to have someone who will truly be honest and tell you when you are crazy or that you are right when it seems the rest of the world thinks you are crazy. They know you, they understand you, and they can help you. Take the time today to reach out to some of your friends. Let them know how much you appreciate them. You won’t regret it!
Things that inspired me today.
- Why I Need Friends
- How to Make Lasting Friendships
- All of you, my friends!