A rotten day or mood can be broken and changed by a slight or unconscious action of a friend.  Remembering always that you are also a friend to many.

Friendship is a dance of give and take.  Some days we give more and on other days we need and therefore take more.  The perfect balance is unique to every person and every dynamic.  I find that I give better than I receive but by that I may undervalue the gift of friendship as a result.

At one point when a friend of mine and I were suffering matching jobless periods in our lives, I was remonstrated by this same friend for being less than gracious and selfish.  Selfish in that I didn’t want her to foot the bill for a much needed social outing, something that I had done for her previously.  She indicated that I was selfish by not allowing her the pleasure of being able to give to others and that my less than gracious acceptance of her gift left her feeling as if her gift was not of value, which was so not the case.  Quite the opposite in fact.

I had to ponder this as it had never crossed my mind, which was clear to my friend.  I didn’t want my friend to bear the cost of a social outing (which at this point in our lives consisted of going for coffee at the local Bridgehead, as I said, joblessness) as I was conscious of her financial situation, which mirrored my own.  Her invitation to have coffee was heartfelt and generously given.  I hadn’t realized that I had done her a disservice by indicating that I didn’t want her to spend funds on me (as I had previously done for her).  I had not consciously given any though to how my friend felt by extending the invitation and how my inability, my gracelessness, in accepting the invitation was damaging to my friend and to myself.

We are still the best of friends and she gently remonstrates me on occasion when I regress and forget that friendship is give and take.   I am grateful for the opportunity to have learned (and to continue to learn) the value of positive friendship.

Life is better when powered by positive friendship.