Why We Need Friendships
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This is a dark period of history. There’s no getting away from the pandemic and politics. Masks, vaccines, and travel restrictions are keeping us apart again. What every one of us needs is resilience and we can have that through our friendships.
Friends are our chosen people and we are theirs. What a wonderful human gift we have in choosing someone to be in our life as a confidant, a lover, a shoulder to lean on, a constant. I am rich with friends in my life who comfort me, listen to me, talk to me, and are there when I need them. I am present to my duty to provide the same to them and do so with joy.
As we go through difficult days, be present to who is there for you and who you are there for. Call on your friends for cheer and support. Answer their call when they request your cheer and support. Communication with friends is a touchstone of reality in an otherwise uncertain world. Endless scrolling or watching Tik-Tok videos can put a peculiar spin on life. Talk with people you know and who know you. It’s grounding. And grounding is what we need as the pandemic spirals, politicians argue, and the world’s climate is in upheaval.
Some people may carry on with parties and fun this season. Others of us will retreat into safe distancing and isolation. Some of us are not near our friends right now and may have to wait for some time before we are together again due to life’s circumstances. Normally, I am able to manage distances and isolation. This week it seems particularly difficult as the news rages and details bring despair. I got a lovely holiday card from a friend today and it brought me a smile. I got a text from another with a picture of her Christmas tree. It gave me hope and a path for peace.
Call on your friends this season. Friends are there for a reason. Remember that you have chosen them and they have chosen you. It is a gift of remarkable kindness and humanness. Revel in it and be refueled by it. We need this today and for the days ahead. Happy holidays and happy new year!
