Except you live out of this world, so long as you dwell in this part of life, having friends is inevitable. Count it a necessity even I might say. Friends make life beautiful, more fruitful, to the point of having an impact on our purpose in life. A lot of successes in the lives of many people came as a result of a relationship known as friendship.
You can have a limited number of friends. But holding a mindset that you don't need friends is particularly wrong. Like I said, I hardly find it true that a person could say they don't have any friends. Is that even a thing? Even loners have friends. This goes on to highlight the importance and need for friends in one's life.
Some people tend to make friends easily and as effortlessly as the way we breathe. From this space, you could possibly tell of such persons. They enter a place and in less than an hour they seem to know everyone and are known as well. It amazes a lot of people, including me. Maybe because some of us are not fans of plenty numbers.
Having my peace, time and quiet is very important. This has perhaps affected my perspective or position in who and who I call friends and roll together with. The many numbers don't do well with me. I appreciate some quiet, and limited interference when getting about my schedules. And when I look at it, the many numbers don't do well in that regard. It depends on one's personality I guess. I saw it in school.
Maybe it goes beyond that. Perhaps, there is a lot I know I have to do in life and much to fulfil which requires a lot of hard work, dedication, labour and sacrifice to achieve that. We can be speaking, greeting and all that, but when it comes to coming into a circle; holding one as a friend, I don't leave it to chance. There have to be some positive values and characteristics portrayed by such a person.
The good thing is that I try not to force it to become a friend to someone. If our values align; you are purposeful, serious with God and life, then somehow we could flow. I relate with people in general but it is different when it comes to making friends. Some of my friends today, I try to recall what exactly led to our friendship and I can hardly trace that exact thing and moment. I just knew that at some point, we started relating well and today they are some of my closest friends.
Of course, there is a need to take some ease with life. I should be able to laugh, crack jokes, make fun of ourselves, and catch some humour when we relate. Yes, life is serious and we are also serious. We want to make it, we need to succeed, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be joyful too. It doesn't fit into who I will call a friend if you just know how to be serious.
There are people I grew up with as friends, close to some extent. Today, we are not really that close. They remain as friends, nonetheless. But we know that the ones you relate to and communicate well with are the real deal. It's a realisation for me then; that shared and upheld values could define a friendship, how it starts and how it goes.
It's not always about who you “vibe” with. It goes deeper than that. So, I think at least.
Images are mine.
