#reverb10: On Friendship
Today’s prompt came from Martha Mihalick.
December 16
Friendship
How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?
I have had many things change my perspective on the world this year…both good and bad. My friends have been a huge influence on that change in thinking.
When I was younger, friendship for me was something that was an outlet for me. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that though I cared greatly about my friends, my personal investment in those relationships was lacking. I always enjoyed getting together with friends, but there was not much beyond that.
As I have gone through some of my personal struggles this year, I have often found myself relying on that time with friends as my therapy, of sorts. That being said, I am also more in tune with my friends when they are hurting. Currently, I have a former co-worker that I still meet occasionally for lunch who is going through personal struggles of their own. I am finding myself more concerned about his journey than I would have been in years past. I am communicating with him more to check in and see how he is doing. I focus on being an encouraging influence as well as an escape.
I have a close friend with whom I have always been amazed at his ability to remember when things are happening in my life and check in with me to see how I did…or how things went. I am now learning as I get older. It is not always a matter of writing it down. It is more a matter of caring enough.
