Thankful for Friends
Thankful for Friends
Holidays remind us of how precious our families are but reviewing holiday cards and messages also reminds me of how I cherish my friends – those from school days, former neighborhoods, and past and current activities, even those I see mostly online.
In her recent book, The Light We Carry, Michelle Obama has a Chapter entitled “My Kitchen Table” in which she discusses the importance of friends in her life. Here is part of what she has to say:
“I am fully convinced that you will get further in life when you’ve got at least a couple solid friends around you, when you’re reliably and demonstratively invested in them, and they in you. …. I think we must continue to practice the art of opening ourselves and connecting with others. The simple truth is that making a friend involves taking a risk, which of course means swallowing a little fear. Friendship can be, at least at first, an emotional gamble—much like dating. You need to show something of yourself in order for it to work. And in showing yourself, you open yourself to being judged or even rejected. You have to be willing to accept the possibility that maybe, for any number of good reasons, you won’t end up friends with this person after all. …. Yes, it can be awkward to express for the very first time that you might actually be glad to see someone if they were to meet you for coffee or maybe show up at your birthday party, but when they do show up and you do feel glad, you both get the gift. You’re finding the light in another person, creating something new together. You are building a sense of home.”
If you would like to share what friendship means to you, feel free to post your thoughts in the comment section below. Meanwhile, thank you for reading this post and being part of my life.
