Saturday Morning Thoughts

I heard something yesterday that was particularly provocative.

It was at work. Going about my menial tasks, I usually have a podcast or some sort of aural stimulation going so that I can give my mind something to do while I work. It makes the time go by faster I suppose. So, while listening, I literally stopped working when I heard this statement.

"You never evaluate a relationship based on where it is. You always evaluate a relationship based on where it's headed."

Oh snapz. What a profound statement.

It wasn't until later on in the night that I really had time to marinade on the implications of that statement. As I was driving to my various destinations, I thought about whether or not the statement was even true. And, I've concluded, that it is. At least in my life.

There is an old adage that stresses that time is the true measure of how loyal a friend is to you. For me, I can count numerous examples of how true this is. There were people that were close to me in school; but then again, once we didn't have classes together, the closeness seemed to drift. Ditto for many relationships at Disney. And any other job for that matter.

I have always maintained that I don't have a lot of friends. I say this not because I feel unpopular or anything; rather, it's due to the fact that I am extremely particular in defining the enormous difference between acquaintances and actual friends. Acquaintances are ones who know of me. Friends, on the other hand, know me. Further, my friends know me such that they will call me out when I am being unwise. None of my acquaintances have the authority nor the transparency to do so.

This leads me back to the earlier statement. Consider how many friends once that have once shared intimacy in your life. Chances are, one of you had an inkling about the trajectory of the friendship going awry. The difference with the friendships that last, is that they continually reevaluate and refocus. It takes intentionality and it requires work. But isn't it worth it?