In modern
society, we often treat friendship like something pragmatic – “A friend in need
is a friend indeed.” To most of us, friendship
is means rather than end. It is
optional: we may want friendship or we can get rid of friendship. But, have you ever realized that true
friendship is not merely about meeting our needs, emotional and material? Do you have a moment that you find your friend
has made you grow in character and virtue, which is not on a par with any gratification
of your “needs”?
As I get older, I have definitely become aware of how the people in our lives aid in our character growth. I would have to admit that many of my interactions have aided me. In fact, I believe our friends are necessary for our growth. We do “use” our friends to reflect who we are so we can determine if our actions are in line with who we believe we are inside. But we often seek out new people to interact with in order to broaden our understanding of who we are or to grow in character.
ReplyDeleteOne such moment came for me when I was assisting in the hiring of a previous co-worker. It wasn’t long after she was hired that we felt a strong friendship form. She is not American and is considerably younger than myself so her perspective of media bias in the United States led me to begin exploring international and alternative media. Our friendship has evolved over the past 8 years, but she continues to challenge my assumptions by sharing information.
Thank you,
Colleen
very perceptive observation!
DeleteRemembering back to one's elementary school days can bring back some memorable moments with friends. Those days were safe and controlled among the teachers and parents. Moving into the higher grades and into the real world reveals the truth among friendships. They may not be hard to come by, but true friendships are hard to find.
ReplyDeleteFriendships today begin by having a common interest, however they tend to move more towards having someone who can help you with something. This is where the saying above comes to truth. Because of the economy and how tough it is to make a living people don't have the time to sit down and have true friends, however I have had a handful in my life.
With a few of my friends there has been a moment where I know they are truly my friends and not another person who can befriend me for their benefit. When someone wants to 'hang out' just to hang out with you is a point in the relationship when you know their your friend.