Meaningless or meaningful

Last night I received a phone call from a friend asking that we catch up for coffee; I was happy to acquiesce to the request and asked when and my friend quickly responded with, "tonight." Ok, I hear you loud and clear; the person needed to talk, a friendly ear or shoulder to cry on or some such thing they felt I could assist with - I responded immediately and within an hour was sitting with my friend over coffee listening and chatting.

I've thought about the catch up and what it meant to my friend, (a great deal considering the topics of discussion), and how impactful sharing the emotional loads or burdens we carry can be on our feeling of wellbeing.

We live in a world in which people pour out their hearts and minds on social media for all sorts of reasons but I wonder if doing so has any real value in the grand scheme of things. People often respond, offer advice and opinions, thoughts and impressions but are they valid, based on a comprehensive understanding of the situation and opinions that could ever have a meaningful benefit? Maybe, but certainly not in some cases too.

I'm not one to share my personal matters online and while I'm happy to hear other people's opinion, those close to me, I make my own decisions, set my own goals and devise my own plans to reach them...it means I have myself to blame if they don't work out rather than others which aligns with my ownership ethos. Besides that, I definitely don't believe the random people found on the internet who will never fully understand all the elements of a problem are the best placed to assist. I guess this is why I take phone calls like my friend made (above) so seriously and always make myself available to those I value.

I was happy to help my friend, to be the ear they needed, a voice of reason to some degree, and someone they were comfortable bouncing their own ideas off prior to making decisions; it made me feel a close part of that person's life and helped the person in meaningful ways and made our friendship feel more meaningful as well. Have you ever felt this way or been in a position to assist a friend in need simply by listening and chatting? Feel free to tell me about it.