When someone is in your life for a reason, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. S/he has come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. S/he is there to meet a need. Then without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, s/he will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes s/he dies. Sometimes s/he walks away. Sometimes s/he acts up or out and forces you to take a stand. What we must realize is that the need has been met.
When a person comes into your life for a season, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. S/he may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. S/he may teach you something you have never done. S/he usually gives you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Lifetime relationships teach you lifetime lessons. Those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. You must accept the lesson, love the person/people anyway, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
The above came to my mind this morning after I chatted with Sabrina. A friend of Sabrina's is in the hospital and cannot be off of her oxygen for any amount of time. She was on the list for a lung transplant and they have taken her off as she is no longer a candidate. Her breathing problems are causing a strain on her heart. I know Sabrina pretty well...Ok I know her very well. She is beating herself up for not spending more time with her friend and she should have taken more time to go visit with her. I can understand why Bean is thinking this way. Her friend is probably pretty close to the end of her life. Bean does not want to lose someone who has been a wonderful friend to her. I've met this woman and she is a wonderful person and I would have been blessed to have her as a friend just as Sabrina has been blessed.
All of this has caused me to really think about friendships and what do they really mean. They are one of the most important relationships we will ever have in our life. Not all friends stick around though. The reason, season, lifetime thing hit me like a ton of bricks this morning. I have been blessed with so many lifetime friends and I thank God they love me for all that I am.
I was thinking about the reason friends and season friends. I have been so blind to what kind of friendship I had with Kim. I didn't see that she was a reason friend. She came into my life 10 years ago for a reason. She was a key person to my getting out of an abusive relationship and getting my life back. She was there for me no matter what when it came to needing encouragement, support and strength in this instance. I could talk to her, cry on her shoulder and she was there. No matter what time of day or night. She was my rock. Without her...I may not have gotten out when I did...if I ever would have. When I left the company we were both working for, we pretty much lost touch with each other. She moved to the other side of the state and I went on with my life. How I wish we had left it the way it was. My memories and thoughts of her would not be so muddled with anger and disgust. Kim was in my life for a reason. I realize that now. I wish I had 2 years ago.
I have my season friends. Friends who I could help with my experiences or just a sympathetic ear. I had a great friend in Wenatchee. Her name was Marina. We had a great time shopping, going out to lunch and working together. When I moved back to Yakima...we lost touch. It's ok though. We both have our lives and we have great memories of my time in Wenatchee. I cherish that.
My lifetime friends...what can I say about them that hasn't already been said? They are the ones I know I can count on in good times and bad to love me and be there. They say you can count on one hand the true honest to goodness friends you will have in a lifetime. I would have to say that I can count on two hands :) BTW...who are "they"? I've never figured that out.
When a person comes into your life for a season, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. S/he may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. S/he may teach you something you have never done. S/he usually gives you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Lifetime relationships teach you lifetime lessons. Those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. You must accept the lesson, love the person/people anyway, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
The above came to my mind this morning after I chatted with Sabrina. A friend of Sabrina's is in the hospital and cannot be off of her oxygen for any amount of time. She was on the list for a lung transplant and they have taken her off as she is no longer a candidate. Her breathing problems are causing a strain on her heart. I know Sabrina pretty well...Ok I know her very well. She is beating herself up for not spending more time with her friend and she should have taken more time to go visit with her. I can understand why Bean is thinking this way. Her friend is probably pretty close to the end of her life. Bean does not want to lose someone who has been a wonderful friend to her. I've met this woman and she is a wonderful person and I would have been blessed to have her as a friend just as Sabrina has been blessed.
All of this has caused me to really think about friendships and what do they really mean. They are one of the most important relationships we will ever have in our life. Not all friends stick around though. The reason, season, lifetime thing hit me like a ton of bricks this morning. I have been blessed with so many lifetime friends and I thank God they love me for all that I am.
I was thinking about the reason friends and season friends. I have been so blind to what kind of friendship I had with Kim. I didn't see that she was a reason friend. She came into my life 10 years ago for a reason. She was a key person to my getting out of an abusive relationship and getting my life back. She was there for me no matter what when it came to needing encouragement, support and strength in this instance. I could talk to her, cry on her shoulder and she was there. No matter what time of day or night. She was my rock. Without her...I may not have gotten out when I did...if I ever would have. When I left the company we were both working for, we pretty much lost touch with each other. She moved to the other side of the state and I went on with my life. How I wish we had left it the way it was. My memories and thoughts of her would not be so muddled with anger and disgust. Kim was in my life for a reason. I realize that now. I wish I had 2 years ago.
I have my season friends. Friends who I could help with my experiences or just a sympathetic ear. I had a great friend in Wenatchee. Her name was Marina. We had a great time shopping, going out to lunch and working together. When I moved back to Yakima...we lost touch. It's ok though. We both have our lives and we have great memories of my time in Wenatchee. I cherish that.
My lifetime friends...what can I say about them that hasn't already been said? They are the ones I know I can count on in good times and bad to love me and be there. They say you can count on one hand the true honest to goodness friends you will have in a lifetime. I would have to say that I can count on two hands :) BTW...who are "they"? I've never figured that out.