Friendship
// March 27th, 2008 // No Comments » // Glenn
The premise of this article is that having family is better than having friends. Family that is also friend is the best.
I’ve had some friends in the past that had developed into very strong relationships – sometimes for years and thought we’d be friends forever. When one of us moved away, the friendship dissolved relatively quickly. In some cases, both of us had done our best to stay in touch but it just doesn’t work the same. We stay acquaintances but not great friends.
Other times, my “friend” has not put in any effort to keep communicating after the move and this hurts the most. It’s painful because it has caused me to second guess all that was said and done when we were close and see that it obviously meant more to me.
Family is different because they never go away. You don’t have to talk regularly but you can always call and give, or ask for, help. That reliability and dependability goes a long way. Family can move across the world but you always stay in touch and if you move close again, the relationship continues.
It takes an enormous amount of hurt to “disown” a family member – and then, after time, forgiveness is always an option. Without that blood bond, friendship can dissolve quickly.
Friends are important for a good life. It’s just that I’ve found that words and promises from friends aren’t worth much until they’re tested and proven. You need to see how this friend reacts to a crisis and what changes when one moves away.
It just seems to me that it’s better to put effort into improving relationships with people you know will last – family.
