Day 8 of the Blog Every Day In May challenge is, "a piece of advice you have for others," and it didn't take me long to realize what piece of advice I wanted to share with you today. So let's jump right into it, shall we?
My advice for you is to cultivate your friendships.
That's it. Cultivate your friendships. I've always considered myself to be a good friend. I am loyal, consistent, and would drop anything I'm doing to help one of my besties in a time of need. I think a great testament to me being a good friend is the fact that one of those ladies below, my maid of honor, has been my very best friend since the first grade. Most friendships don't withstand the test of time, but ours has. And for that, I am truly grateful.
Unfortunately, I think long-lasting, deep friendships are something extremely rare in this day and age. We get busy. We have jobs, maybe children, and a home full of chores and yard work that needs tending to. Life is hectic, and one of the very first things to get moved down on our list of priorities when things get too hectic is our friendships --and that's a shame. There are few things in this world that enrich our lives more than our friends. Yet, friendship is a delicate thing and if it is not properly cultivated, it will slowly wilt and eventually die altogether.
So go cultivate your friendships. Turn off the TV and pick up the phone. Give them a call or send them a handwritten note. Invest the time and care necessary to sustain them and cause them to thrive. You'll be glad you did.
12 comments:
great advice.
This is excellent advice! I tell myself this all the time. But I think it's just as important to know that some friendships are worth cultivating, and others aren't. I've often found myself on the wrong side of a one-sided friendship, but for some reason I struggle with letting those ones go... I guess I'm just too loyal for my own good!
Very true and something often taken for granted. If people realized that their friends could be some of their greatest allies when shooting for their dreams it would mind blowing what we could accomplish.
I agree with this 100%! One of my bridesmaids was one of my friends from elementary school, too!
Unfortunately I've experienced what "falling out of friendship" feels like and it's never fun, but I guess sometimes things just happen for a reason. In those tough times I remind myself that I do as much as I can, and if it's not replicated I can't force it. The friends I do have in my life now are the ones I know will withstand the test of time.
Danielle, I totally agree. There is no better feeling than the warm and fuzzies I get after spending quality time with my besties. They inspire me, rejuvenate me, and like you said, enrich my life. But it takes time and energy to cultivate these friendships, so this is excellent advice!
I love this and it is so true. My college girlfriends mean the world to me and those relationships are so important!
Love this. I don't know why I've struggled with friendships. I didn't relate to a lot of the people I grew up with because it was such a small town and I mostly wanted out. I have one best friend since we were 4 and a bestie from college, but I'm lacking the big group of girls. I feel usually like I can count my friends on one hand. This is something I am always thinking about, why don't I have more friends? Is it my fault? When you get older I feel like people have their friends already set and it's hard to make new friends. Ok vent sesh over. I need to reassess and try and make some new efforts. Good post, Danielle!
This is absolutely wonderful advice ♥
This is so true! Props to you for having such long-lasting friendships. I don't hardly talk to any of my high school friends anymore (much less friends from elementary school) and rarely ever interact with people who aren't my daughter, my boyfriend, or other immediate family members. And that's not because I don't want to, I simply just don't make it a priority {as you said}.
Life is hectic and we all have a million and one things to do, but we can all certainly make time available to enjoy it with friends. Great advice!
I believe in this too.
I'm trying to be more intentional with my relationships with family, friends, and of course B.
Lovely advice...and so very, very true. Relationships take time and effort - even friendships - and they're so worth that time & effort too.
Hi! I found your blog during Jenni's May link up and began following you. I was just wondering if you always work from home, and if so, if you have any posts or advice on how to connect with new friends. I admit, I didn't look very far back in your posts, although I did make my husband look at a lot of Huck's adorable photos with me. Just over two years ago my husband got a promotion that requires us to spend about half our year over an hour south of Portland and half the year an hour southwest of Boise, so I haven't been working. I'm just a stay at home wife (not a very good homemaker) and I recently decided to start writing a book. I'm going crazy not having close girl friends, though! I do have some on the western side of the state but it's been a while since I felt like I had a best friend (aside from my husband). I've looked for hiking, yoga, and book groups online but I'm usually too far from larger cities or significantly younger than most participants.
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