The Wild Importance of Friendship
I've spent a lot of time with friends this week. Far more time than I usually spend. And there have been so many conversations about light and airy things, but also about dark and difficult things. I learn so much from these conversations about life and about love, about myself and my friends and humanity and the world. But this week I've learned one main lesson, namely that friendship is vital. Family is wonderful and work can be very meaningful, but friendship must not be overlooked.
Another thought: Friendship doesn't necessarily exist separate and apart from family and work. Maybe the best marriage is a union between best friends. Maybe the best parent-child relationship contains fibers of friendship. Maybe our sisters or brothers are our very best buds. Maybe the work that we do is with people we love and our colleagues also count dear friends.
I don't know, but I think I'm waking up to the wild importance of friendship in a happy life. Can we be happy without friends? I'm not sure. Is it better to walk through life with people upon whom we can call to laugh and to cry, to gossip and to eat fries and to confess?
Oh, absolutely.
Before I go, I love this quote from Emerson: The only way to have a friend is to be one.
How important is friendship to you? Are you good at making and keeping friends or is this something with which you struggle?