Joanna over at a Cup of Jo recently put the quote that I have below in reference to an article her husband, Alex, wrote for the New York Times on making friends as an adult.
Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” —C.S. Lewis
Friendship has been on my mind. It’s something that is so important to me. It has been since I can remember. I love people. All kinds of people. I especially like sharing with people. I think I’ve been that way my whole life.
I really started considering friendship after listening to this week’s This American Life. It’s about Middle Schoolers and what they go through. I finished the end today on a run. One of the last stories is an interview with a middle school aged kid who has just moved and he is so lost and sad. I was laughing and crying over the things Leo said about making friends.
It got me thinking about vulnerability. How risky and dangerous it feels to be vulnerable at any age, but how essential it is for us to feel loved or like we belong. When we expose ourselves no matter what the response is (negative or positive) I think we are that much closer to our infinite power of being.
I’m so grateful for all my friendships and the chance they give me to be a little more vulnerable everyday.
image via: my grandma – me and my cousin davie. one of my first great friends.
7 Comments
jora
November 15, 2012 at 1:17 PMI'm so glad we are friends!!! xoxo
Desi McKinnon
November 15, 2012 at 2:04 PMI'm glad we are friends too!
SuchSmallSteps
November 15, 2012 at 5:03 PMIt is so hard to make friends as an adult. Or maybe hard to make all-encompassing friendships like I used to. Some women I talked to about this think you need getaway time- a trip or even a weekend- so people really relax and get out of their comfort zones and become more open and vulnerable. That's one reason sometimes blog friendships work- you've already opened up by the time you meet!
Shelly
November 16, 2012 at 6:40 PMDesi, I can't stand how cute you are in the photo! I adore 'This American Life', I will give the show a listen for sure.
I agree with you in regards to friendship, a raison d'etre.
torrie
November 17, 2012 at 2:55 PMi will listen to this later today, as i have one who has just finished middle school, and one who will be entering before i know it.
as for friendship, you are SO right. vulnerability has always been a very interesting to me. when i was in management for so many years, i saw so many of my employees get stuck (unable to progress in the corporation) due to an "inability" to display vulnerability- with their employees, peers, or managers. i sometimes feel like i was too vulnerable, but it was surprising to see how incredibly difficult it was for some.
after i left starbucks (all of my 'work-friends'), making friends has been much, much harder than i thought it would be.
180|360
November 21, 2012 at 2:43 PMThat picture is the cutest! One of our school desks looks exactly like that one, only it is red. 🙂
I've been wanting to write a post about friendship for awhile now. Maybe I will do it. I liked the podcast and Alex's article.
Colleen
January 16, 2013 at 9:09 AMYou are so darn cute! I miss you, friend. xo