My Thoughts This Morning [Friendship]

I’ve [always] known how powerful the bond of friendship can be. At some point during my twenties, I came to the realization that friendship is much stronger than marriage, boyfriend/girlfriend, or any other relationship that begins from physical attraction. Anything that is based on sex, the goal of sex, or physical attraction in general, lacks the proper foundation to survive the inevitable [for better or worse].

Friendship is a very special bond between two people. The variety of ways in which this special bond my begin are as innumerable as the variety of people who may become friends. Of course, some intimate relationships begin as friendships. Furthermore, many of those intimate relationships which do not begin as friendships develop a strong friendship foundation along the way.

We all have our own definition of [friend]. My standards and expectations of friendship are very high. Because of this, I’ve always been able to count my friends on one hand. Of course, I’m referring to the friendship of the highest level, not social media. Sadly enough, many of our young people have been allowed to grow up believing that all of their FB friends are real friends. Some, of course, are true friends, and quite possibly the best of friends.

I’d like to add this: By no means am I saying that I travel through life judging and sentencing those around me. On the contrary, I spend no time being frustrated over someone possibly not being [just the way] I’d like them to be. When I was younger . . . Yes . . . Yes, I did.

Joseph Shanklin
February 19, 2020