Tapestry of Friendship
The Tapestry of Friendship- Friendships can be complicated. According to Celes Chua from Personal Excellence, there are three types of friends; there is the Hi-Bye friend, the regular friend, and true soul friends, our besties who drive all night to scoop us up off the bathroom floor when our world is falling apart. Take a listen to the talking joy team as we come to understand the value theses different types of friendships bring to our lives.
THREE TYPES OF FRIENDS
1. “Hi-Bye” friends (or acquaintances). These are the ones you see at school/work because the context calls for it. You say hi when you see each other and you say bye at the end of the day, but that’s about it. The relationship never lasts when the context is removed, i.e. when you graduate from school or leave the workplace.
2. Regular friends. Social, activity buddies you meet up every now and then to catch up or hang out with. You can generally talk about regular topics under the sun.
3. True, soul friends (or best friends). People you can talk anything and everything with. You may or may not meet up every day, but it doesn’t matter as the strength of your friendship is not determined by how frequently you meet up — it’s more than that. These are the friends you can trust to be there for you whenever you need them, and they will go the extra mile for you.
~By Celes Chua of Personal Excellence Blog
Friendship is one of the greatest gifts a human being can receive. It is a bond beyond common goals, common interests, or common histories. It is a bond stronger than sexual union can create, deeper than a shared fate can solidify, and even more intimate than the bonds of marriage or community. Friendship is being with the other in joy and sorrow, even when we cannot increase the joy or decrease the sorrow. It is a unity of souls that gives nobility and sincerity to love. Friendship makes all of life shine brightly. Blessed are those who lay down their lives for their friends.
No two friends are the same. Each has his or her own gift for us. When we expect one friend to have all we need, we will always be hypercritical, never completely happy with what he or she does have.
One friend may offer us affection, another may stimulate our minds, another may strengthen our souls. The more able we are to receive the different gifts our friends have to give us, the more able we will be to offer our own unique but limited gifts. Thus, friendships create a beautiful tapestry of love.
POEM: TAPESTRY OF FRIENDSHIP
We have reached for each other in many lifetimes
always finding the comfort we seek
The years have brought us to
many phases of our life’s journey
Hitting many bumps, hills and sometimes huge mountains
our friendship never faltering
It stayed strong and connected
We’ve traveled through the forest of feelings
catching our tears in cups of sorrow
using them to wash away our fears
Our tapestry is woven with tight threads
that are woven around our souls
Joining us together to form the pattern
of love and respect for an everlasting
friendship
(source)