Relationships

Once upon a time in a small Virginia town, two mothers who hardly knew each other introduced their little girls to each other in the local beauty shop. Who was to guess that these two girls would become lifelong friends?

A friendship definition from visionwisecapital.com states that the true meaning is a state of enduring affection, esteem and trust between two people.  Friendships are important relationships throughout a person’s life span.

There are three C’s to friendships.  Constituents are those who are for what you are for! Constituents will gladly walk with you, work with you, and problem-solve with you, BUT they will not stay with you forever.

The second C is a Comrade. A comrade will come alongside you and is merely against what you are against, BUT will only be with you until the victory is won. These friends are like scaffolding.  They are very close to you and come into your life to fulfill a purpose, and when that purpose is completed, the scaffolding is removed.  Do not be upset. When the scaffolding is removed, the building remains.  Everybody wins!

The third C is Confidants and they are different.  They are so powerfully special that no matter what, whether you show a frailty or a strength, they will treat you with an expectation of greatness.  You will have very few of them in your lifetime and if you have two or three, you are an exception.

Confidants love you unconditionally, whether you are up or down, right or wrong.  They are with you for the long haul.  You can open up and share anything with them without being judged.

There are many good things that can be achieved through the assistance of Constituents and Comrades, but the beauty behind the Confidant is that person is for YOU!

The golden rules of friendship are to respect your friends and their boundaries as well as their stories.  Give your friends space and let a relationship deepen over time.

Proverbs 18:24 reminds us that “a good friend sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 17:17 says that a real friend “loves at all times.”

Another up-to-date quote that I really like is “There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate” by Linda Grayson.

These two little girls grew up to be best friends from that early moment on.  They would play together as children and enter high school and graduate together.  They grew up to be wives, mothers, grandmothers and a great-grandmother but their love throughout 60+ years never wavered.  The Alzheimer disease took one’s memory many years ago and death ended their friendship last week. Our families will continue to support each other and our family friendships will continue.  R.I.P. Doris Ray……I’ll see you on the other side!