Trimming the friend fat. We've all done it, whether we knew it's what we were doing or not, we've gotten rid of people in our lives who are simply acquaintances rather than good friends.
I think it's important to define what characteristics you want in a good friend. For me, I want someone who contributes good things to my life. Rather than listing what I don't want in a friend, I have been trying to list the qualities that give my good friends that good friend status.
In high school, I had a group of friends I ran around with. They were my very best friends. We dealt with the fights, the backstabbing, the gossip, etc because we were in high school and it was just high school drama. And while at the time I felt like my life was over if one of my friends was mad at me, I see now that it was ridiculous to think we'd be friends for life. We all had different personalities, different things to bring to our "group"....and while it was fun being the center of attention, the popular group, the sad reality is that that was just high school. It was no reflection of what was to come in our adult lives.
There are things I've done since high school that may "define" me in the eyes of some of my old high school "friends" and that's fine. I will be the first to admit that I have flaws, I've made mistakes, and I've acted a fool! But I'm not that person anymore. I'm not the high school homecoming queen, I'm not the captain of the cheerleading team, I'm not the party girl, I'm not the girl who always fell through on her word, I'm not the girl who couldn't be depended on... I'm not any of those things I once was...I am now a 28 year old woman, raising two small kids on her own. I would like to think that I do a good job in my life, my job, and with my family. I am realizing more and more that those people in my past are just that-- people in the past. I will not apologize for my past. I do not have regrets. Everything that has happened in my life has made me into the person I am today, and I will not apologize for that.
I would rather have three INCREDIBLY LOYAL, TRUSTWORTHY, HONEST, FAITHFUL friends, than the friends in my past who I know are none of those things. It's a good feeling to know that I can call my friends ANYTIME and they'll be there for me. I've been though a LOT of stuff in the past year. I have been in very low points. I NEEDED someone to help bring me back up and I can honestly say that from that I know who my true friends are. I also know that my friends would never backstab me, talk badly about me, or judge me for my past. I know that my friends are TRUE friends and that's a good feeling to have!
"Some friendships do not last, but some friends are more loyal than brothers."
- Proverbs 18:24
1 comment:
good for you!
Post a Comment