a tickle of words to create smiles

Posts tagged ‘Friendship’

Grateful for Friendship (TY-16)

Friendship 001

Friendships can often be taken for granted, especially those long-standing since childhood. I deeply appreciate all the interpersonal relationships I have and had in my life. Each person with whom I engaged in conversations, activities and other events have played a significant role in molding who I am today. I deeply care about each of my friends, no matter how long I have known them and no matter if I have ever met them face-to-face or not.

Each interaction has been special and I am grateful for each moment we shared, whether we exchanged e-mails, comments, talked on the phone, responded or posted on Facebook, Tweeted, blogged, etc. I deeply appreciate the time involved and the thoughts behind each moment, where you have thought about me. Thank you so very much for being a part of my life!

Big Heart…Small World

As my heart grows bigger, the world gets smaller. Physical distance is not an obstacle in the spiritual realm where love dances and plays. I hope each of you feel the same way. I am reminded of the song of Disney fame, It’s a Small World After All:

It’s a world of laughter
A world of tears
It’s a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There’s so much that we share
That it’s time we’re aware
It’s a small world after all

It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small, small world

There is just one moon
And one golden sun
And a smile means
Friendship to every one
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It’s a small world after all

It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small, small world

Good for Something

To simply be good and do the right thing is respectable and adequate; however, to truly be good for a cause and for a purpose would be noble and magnanimous. Consider at this very moment, for what do you truly live your life. Do you live for love and kindness; do you live for family and honor; do you live for friendship; do you live for democracy; or do you live for all of these things and more? Or, do you simply obey the rules and conform to society? I invite you to think about what truly inspires you to live as you begin each day of your life.

Nurture…our hearts and our friendships with joy and love.

Nurture…feed, protect, support, encourage…our hearts and our friendships with joy and love. ~ Dr. Angela Kowitz Orobko

I define nurture in this passage as: to feed and protect; to support and encourage; foster.  For our own well-being and that of the world it is important to nurture our friendships as well as our own hearts. I believe I can do both, nurture my heart and my friendships, at the same time.  Spending time with friends, socializing, eating, drinking and being merry supports and encourages love and joy in our hearts.

The hearts of our friends as well as our own hearts are being nurtured as we spend time together and simply being in the moment with each other by giving our undivided attentions to each other.  Every moment we have is a blessing that should be fully appreciated.  Sharing these precious moments with others is a great way to appreciate those moments and nurture our own hearts as well as the hearts of our friends.  Friendship is a form of love that deserves to be nurtured.

I will nurture my heart by feeding it joy and protecting it from negative feelings. I will support and encourage my heart with only those activities that I take delight. I will foster happiness in my life. This will nurture me! By nurturing me, I can nurture my friends and the world.  Self-care is so important. It is vital that we do not neglect ourselves. How are we able to take care of others when we are not taking care of ourselves? By NURTURING, feeding, protecting, supporting, encouraging, our hearts and our friendships with joy and love.

 

Gifts of Love Update 13

Today I spent much of the day painting more Gifts of Love. I will share those images tomorrow. More importantly I had the opportunity to give “Gift of Love #9” to a dear friend who I learned is moving. What is amazing about this is I did not know she was moving until after I gave her the gift. My heart (as inspired by God) urged me to give her one. 

The story behind this gift presentation is as follows. Earlier this week I reconnected with some friends from a church in which I was a regular member years ago. This transpired during a special service that honored the recent death of the founding reverend pastor of that church. I was close to this pastor and it was a bittersweet event. I carried a heavy heart, but he wanted us to celebrate his passing. After this special service, many of the regular members of the church wished me to return to the parish, especially one of my dearer friends.

So, my husband and I planned and went to this evening’s church service. I felt compelled to give my one dear friend a Gift of Love. She was absolutely delighted. This is what I love about her, she always values and appreciates everything and everyone! This is when I learned that she and her husband are moving at the end of this month. I am both sad and happy about this. I will miss her and her husband; but, she will be closer to her children and grandchildren. The Gift of Love was perfect! 

I also was given the opportunity to speak about my Gift of Love campaign and the importance of addressing bullying. I felt so much support from my peers at this church as we discussed the timeliness of my campaign and the importance of addressing bullying… empowering and equipping parents and children with the emotional tools they need to survive bullying.

I truly feel that I have been Divinely led tonight, which has again renewed my already profound faith in Jesus Christ. This is what I need to be doing; this is my purpose and calling. I have been chosen to be an advocate and inspiration of love and kindness as the way to address bullying and negativity to create positive changes in my community and in our world.

My friendly challenge to you is to find a way to spread love and kindness this weekend, not just to those who you feel deserve it; but, see if you can be especially nice to those who may be gruff, persnickety, prickly or even a bully. 

Philia Love

 

Love comes in many forms as Agape is unconditional love in the Greek language; the love of friends, brothers, and sisters is a type of non-sexual affection the Greeks have designated as Philia or Phileo. Most people know of the city of Philadelphia; however, some do not know that Philadelphia is a compound Greek word: Philos, which means loving and Adelphos, which means brother. This is why Philadelphia is also known as the city of brotherly love. (This should not come as a surprise to most as U.S. Government is based on Ancient Greek politics; Democracy has its formal origins in Ancient Greece.)

The affection and love people feel towards their friends and family is Philia love. Philia love is what most people crave from each other; it is that wish to be accepted, connected and loved by their peers. Philia love is similar to Agape love, but Philia love is not necessarily unconditional love nor is it spiritual love. It is love of family and friends because of connectivity and like interests. Philia love is that mutual love that bounds friends and family. Agape love is a pure love where that person does not need to be loved in return. It should also be mentioned that there is also Storge love which is similar to both Philia love and Agape love. Storge love is that bond between mother and child, which bounds them together.

Philia is great place to be in when moving toward Agape love. People who are capable of loving people because they have like interests as a connection can begin to love people with whom they are not connected simply by becoming aware that each person has value and need not be judged. People who are open to different ways of thinking and different cultures will be able to expand his or her Philia love to a wider community of people and eventually to the global community. It is global acceptance of people, which will lead to Agape love. People who can consider being open to Philia love to others outside their circle of friends will find their lives profoundly enriched by indescribable experiences. 

Friendship

Interacting with friends today reminded me of the importance of friendship and camaraderie. Relationships between people are to be valued. Friendships and camaraderie fills my heart with joy and love. I love interacting with people especially those who reciprocate. Friendship can be face-to-face or on-line. The feelings are the same (or at least for me). Although, I have to admit, face-to-face interactions do so much to nurture an interpersonal relationship such as friendship and camaraderie.

Friendship to me is the sharing of time and love with others; and others sharing their love and time with me. Friendship is interacting with others such that positive feelings are experienced by all parties involved. Wikipedia defines friendship as a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Webster defines friendship as the state of being friends; it is the quality or state of being friends. Okay, that was helpful.

How would one describe a friend, friendship and friendliness (friendly) to a child. Friends are 2 or more people of any age who get along and play together. They support and nurture each other. Sometimes friends cry on each other’s shoulders. Friends do many activities together like talk on the phone, visit together, eat together, exercise together, basically have fun and a good time together. Togetherness is key. Often friends have common backgrounds and have similar interests; but, it is not a prerequisite. Friends may admire the differences in each other.

You may be great at sports and very athletic and your friend may be great at crafting items and planning great parties. Friends can lean on each and learn from each other. Friends often know the right thing to say or do when you are down. Friends generally are good listeners. Occasionally a friend might say the wrong thing (open mouth, insert foot); however, friends are quick to forgive each other. Most of all, your friend cares and loves you. Friendship is a form of love we have for our fellow human beings that is closer association than just recognizing a face. Close friends know each other’s hearts and deeply care about your entire being.

A friend is one that is attached to another by affection or esteem. A friend is a favored companion. Friendship, amity, benevolence, brotherhood, charity, cordiality, fellowship, goodwill, kindliness, kinship, neighborliness are all related words. How can one be a friend? First of all, I believe you need to be open and loving. You need to be able and willing to give of yourself completely to another in the way of time and support. You need to be sincere and genuine with yourself and others. Honesty, trust and faith play a role in friendship. One needs to be truthful!

I believe (most) dogs are great model for demonstrating friendship with their innate friendliness and loyalty. Loyalty is a good quality among friends. Friendship is important between husband and wife / boyfriend and girlfriends. Our friends can define who we are. Birds of a feather, flock together. Your best of friends are there when you are in need. (A friend in need is a friend indeed.)  You may also have fair-weather friends who are there only when things are going well in your life.

I believe friendship deeply depends on what you put into it. We are all connected, so why should we not all be friends? Being nice to one another costs nothing; but, the benefits are fabulous that start with our own hearts. I believe it keeps us positive and uplifted. Love and kindness (and friendship) keeps us in higher energy. When I think about others first, it brings joy to my heart, even more so during those times when I have let go of expecting something in return. I know I am able to be there for my friends and that is all that matters to me. This brings me joy and happiness.

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