February 23, 2011

"LET YOUR FRIENDS BE A FRIEND TO YOU!"

Once again, this post probably sounds a little ridiculous. If your friend is already your friend, then how could one possibly not allow the friend to be a friend. Are you with me yet? Sometimes, we do not allow our friends to be our "true" friends. Sometimes, we put up walls, and we insist that we can handle everything in our lives on our own. How many times have you had a friend say to you, "If you need to talk, I am here for you." But instead of confiding our problems with this person whom we know we can trust, we decide to deal with the issue on our own. Sometimes, dealing on our own with serious stresses can create a whole lot of chaos in our lives, such as depression, loneliness, and anxiety.

This is what happened to me today. I walked upon the ship, The SSMelancholy, with its anchor in the Sea of Depression. This year has been a stressful, chaotic, whirlwind of a year. So many people whom I thought were good friends even best friends decided to turn their backs on me and walk out of my life during the most horrific event that has ever taken place in my lifetime. These people were not my real friends. However, there were a few people who decided to plant themselves next to me no matter what mood I may be experiencing, and they never left my side. This, my friend, is a "true" friend. However, most of the time, I do not utilize these people as my friend, because I do not want to bother them. I know how busy people are in their own lives, and they do not need to hear any of my difficulties. This is where I found myself today...wallowing in self-pity and feeling sorry that I had no one to talk to.

Listen to me say this! I did have people to talk to! I have a friend who has been a real friend for probably 25 years....we kind of lost count how long we have known each other. I have made a few, new online friends on my facebook profile, and they have definitely showed their support in the past year. I just was not utilizing these people how they truly wanted to be utilized. They wanted me to talk to them and to tell them what I was facing. One friend even told me that I was helping her face her divorce more easily by the two of us bouncing our thoughts off each other. When your friends tell you to talk to them, what they might be saying is, "Please talk to me because nobody else wants to." So, be that person who isn't afraid to talk to their real friends. Let your friends be the friend they really want to be!