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Have you always been a good friend?
Our lives are woven together by the delicate fabric of relationships we collect and forge along the way. Unlike our inability to choose family members, we can choose our friends. This freedom assigns the people we bring into our lives an element of importance and personal specialness. How do we know we are doing what it takes to keep our friendships alive and thriving? What does it mean to be a “good friend”?
Different friends are looking for different things. How do we figure out what that is and provide it? Are we aware of their needs? Are we treating them the way THEY would want to be treated? How do we find that out? Do we offer the kind of friendship we seek from others? Are we there in good times as well as bad? This may show the level of friendship we give and the type of friend we are.
Imagine... celebrating your friends the way you would want to be celebrated!
Activity:
When was the last time you nurtured your friendships? Here are some ideas to help you do that. Feel free to come up with your own ideas as well!
- Scavenger hunt
- Recognizing birthdays
- Bowling outings
- Give a hug
- Send an unexpected email/card
- Share with others what you like best about your friends
- Lend an ear
Create the space so friendships can be found, nurtured, celebrated!
Reflection:
- What qualities do you look for in a friend?
- Do you provide this to them too?
- A friend is there during good times as well as bad.
- Are any of your friends struggling?
- Are you doing what you can to reach out and support their needs?
- What do you do to nurture your friendships?
“Friendship isn't a big thing – it’s a million little things.”
- Author Unknown
"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson