A Deeper Look At Friendship

Hello beautiful people! It is with great pleasure that I welcome you back to my space.

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In this post, I will be sharing my personal views on friendship, that is ultimately what friendship means to me.

Of course, I have to acknowledge that friendship means different things to different people. But then again, everyone has a right to his own definition and opinion.

In my own opinion...
Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection, respect and understanding. By using the word mutual, I want to bring out the fact that friendship is not a one-sided relationship where one contributes without receiving and the other receives without giving.

This kind of relationship is not even restricted by age or gender, and therefore demands discretion to avoid being misunderstood by others.

Mutual Affection In Friendship

Like I said earlier, true friends will love one another not only in words but with actions to show. A kind word, a phone call or a text message to check on the person I call my friend.

Of course, it is possible to do these without expecting anything in return, but the truth is that when these acts are reciprocated, the bond of friendship becomes stronger.

I, for one, care for my friends in the ways I mentioned above. But it is painful when you keep showing affection and it seems it is left for only you to do to sustain the friendship.

Mutual Respect In Friendship

Being friends with someone doesn't give us the right to cross the person's boundaries or encroach into their sacred space. Also, friendship is not a license to insult or be rude to the other person because they are younger or because they earn less or occupy a junior position at work.

If that ever happens, then it is better to assume that there was no affection in the first place.

The Place Of Mutual Understanding

It is important to study our friends so that we can know what makes them happy or sad, and also to know how to support them. It is impossible to achieve this without spending time with our friends or listening to them.

People often read meaning into something, and sometimes our words and actions are misinterpreted by others. It is painful when we are judged and misunderstood by others, but more painful when we are judged and misunderstood by people we call our friends.

Mutual Support In Friendship

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I believe that friends should support one another, and be good confidants. When everyone else is against me, my friend should be the listening ear and the shoulder I can cry on.

Money is not and should not be the basis of friendship, but if the need arises should not be withheld as long as it is in our power to give. I expect my friends to be a huge support system for me while I do the same for them.

Final Thoughts

I love making friends, but over the years I have learnt to not rush into friendship without first observing and studying the person from a distance to know whether I will love to get closer to them or not.

Also, I would like to add that it is important to examine our motives for being in any friendship/relationship. If it is just for being on the receiving side, then there is no balance at all and that friendship will definitely not stand the test of time.

I have been blessed to have friends whom I have known closely for more than 20 years. Even when circumstances arose to make us move away physically we have kept touch over the years, still caring and supporting one another.

These are people who can vouch for me and vice versa, any day any time. So, I can say that true friendships are still possible.

These are my thoughts about friendship, and I have written this post as my response to the questions posed by @merit.ahama in this week's Ladies of Hive Contest.

Thank you so much for reading to this point. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, and I will get back to you.

The images used in this post are free-to-use images from pixabay.com, and have been sourced.

Thank you once again.