Friendship

The Wonderful Gift That Is Friendship

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."...Helen Keller

Humans are social beings.  We always have been and we always will be.  We thrive on interacting with each other; indeed our very survival as a species has been dependent upon this fact.  Our social groups are how we identify and relate to each other.  Outside of the family that we are born into, our friends play a pivotal role throughout the course of our lives, and have much to do with how we perceive and experience life.  

I have a few life long friends.  One of these fellows is Mike Mennozi. I've known Mike ever since kindergarten.  When you're 49 years old and you've had a friend since you were 5 years old...well...that's special.  People who have known you for your entire life know you in an entirely different way than somebody whose only known you for the past couple years.

That is not to say that Mike and I talk every single day...or that we have weekly visits.  We do see each other a few times a year still and make sure that we have a good conversation whenever one of us picks up the phone to call the other.  The conversation flows naturally, laughs ensue, and that is enough to sustain our deep rooted friendship.  I think all who have these types of long standing friendships should consider themselves fortunate.

Throughout the course of our lives, through shared experiences like school, college, the military, careers, etc...we meet people and bond with those who we have the most in comon with, who we find interesting, and who we admire and respect.  We should all "keep on the lookout", so to speak, for good quality people who we can develop friendships with.  One of my good friends, Jimmy Fields, is a terrific guy I met through both of our son's participation in the sport of wrestling.  At this point, because of our son's involvement in wrestling, we talk and see each other much more than my friendship with my childhood friend Mike, but that's not saying that one is more important than the other.  All friendships have their unique properties, and they do not have to parallel or be in competition with each other.

And then there is my best friend...my wife Pam.  Lucky are us men who would otherwise be set adrift to the currents of life if not achored down by the sensibilities of a good woman!  She is the greatest gift ever bestowed upon me and gave me two wonderful sons to focus my life's energies on...two equally great gifts who are sure to be my running mates in just a few more years.  One can hope!

In this day and age of Facebook and other social media friendships, when a persons "friends list" can number in the thousands, it is important to recognize, cultivate, and value the different types of friendships that we have.  Friendship can be the best therapy in the world for someone who is down in the dumps.  Friendships can encourage us to see the potentialities within ourselves that may be difficult, for whatever reason, for us to recognize.

Friendship truly is a wonderful gift and the following advice are things that I have both heard throughout my life and have found to be truth:

1. Pick your friends carefully.  You are judged by the company you keep.
2. "Wishing to be friends is quick work, but true friendship is a slow ripening fruit."...Aristotle
3. To have a friend you have to be a friend.

Until the next time...

#YouMatterTremendously
#GoldenRuleLifeStrategy
#LiveYourLifeWithPurpose

Here's the irrepressible Brendon Burchard. Terrific video on the subject of friendship.