Reflections

Reflections is a weekly meme hosted by Kristin of A Simply Enchanted Life and Fizzy of Fizzy Pop Collection. Every Sunday we will dig deeper in our recent reads to explore the real-life lessons within the pages. Reading the book yourself is not necessary to participate. If you would like to host your own reflection, you’re welcome to copy and paste this introduction, with the link to our pages. You may use our current or prior reflections or come up with your own.

In ‘Murder Simply Brewed‘ by Vannetta Chapman, Amber’s heart desires friendship. In chapter nine she wrestles with this. ‘She’d always been a friendly person, but it seemed close friendships were hard to come by.’ Do you agree that close friendships are rare? How can we have more meaningful relationships with those we see on a day-to-day basis?

First, I never for a minute foresaw the moment when adding a meme to a Reflections post would be appropriate. But then this. This question and this quote are like unexpected besties. Which is kinda how friendship works.

Friendship isn’t something you can ‘make’ happen. It’s something that evolves as you get to know people through mutual contact; work, church, the grocery store, life. Even the internet. I would say I have many friends. But close friends is a reserved status. You don’t tell all your stories to ‘friends’. You save those for your close friends, besties. Besties are rare and the title is earned. I don’t mean rare like once in a life time but rare as in it’s a special type of friendship that is fought for and earned. I’ve talked before about Amanda and I’s friendship started. We weren’t immediately besties, we worked for it, she finagled for it, and it developed naturally through the mingling of our real lives. Once a bestie is gone from your life (whether through life changes or through true loss) that relationship is irreplaceable. There will never be another person in your life, another friendship in your life, another relationship like the one that is gone. There is a void that is left behind when a bestie relationship is gone. Kristin and I met accidentally through the Sims games. To be truly honest, I can’t begin to tell you how our friendship actually evolved from online chat on YIM to the phone to what we have today. It was a natural progression that had to have almost been preordained but I can’t tell you when it changed, how it changed or why it changed. I’m just glad it changed. I’ve had other besties, a select few, that for various reasons are no longer part of my life. Those relationship will never be replaced, can never be replaced. While I may not miss the person any longer I do miss the relationship.

I have many friends, select besties, and am surrounded by people. The bestie relationship isn’t planned, it happens. You find this person you’ve met, decide you like them, and do stuff with them. A bestie is born.

Your turn! Besties? Do you agree that close friendships are rare? How can we have more meaningful relationships with those we see on a day-to-day basis? Share in the comments below.