Tag: Friendship

To A Friend

I have acted foolishly in times that demanded wisdom; I have been afraid when I should have been open, been closed when I could have been loved, and been loved when I should have been shunned. I have mistrusted when I should have embraced. I have been a good friend. I have been a bad friend. I have broken promises. I have not always done the right thing. I have made mistakes. I want to be better. I want to be stronger. I do not know what I want to be when I grow up. I want to apologise for those times I failed to help, to be there, to do the right thing. I talk about myself when I should listen to others. I apologise too much. I talk too much. I have cried alone. I have cried in love. I have cried in laughter. I have tried in spite of failure. I have laughed in spite of sadness. I have loved in spite of hate. I have tried harder than I thought I could. I have loved more than I thought I would. I have fallen down. I have got back up. I know I am not the only one but sometimes I have felt like I might be.

And through it all, you have been there. You have inspired me. You have conspired with me. You have given me the benefit of your wisdom. You have given me the benefit of the doubt. You have been an attraction when my heart was full. You have been a distraction when my heart was void. You have been a good friend. You have been a bad friend. You have been exasperating when you have been wrong and more so when you have been right. You have heard what I say, you have known how I feel and you have seen who I am. You have encouraged when I lacked courage. You have discouraged when I lacked wisdom. You have laughed with me, cried with me, walked, run, slipped and climbed with me. You have stood with me in spite of me. You have lifted me up. You have talked me down. You have fought with me. You have fought for me. You have loved me. You are not the only one but sometimes I have felt like you might be.

It is never enough, but thank you. You change my life.

Differences of Opinion

This was originally a status post I made on my Facebook timeline, but I thought it was worth sharing outside of that walled garden. I've edited it to account for the change in context (this being my blog, not Facebook), but only a little.

I am very happy to have a lot of wonderful friends from both sides of the political fence; they challenge my thinking and I value that. I hope all my friends understand that while we may not always agree, I appreciate their friendship and their willingness to accept our differences as I do.

However, I also accept that at some point, my views may push some away, as it did yesterday when a perhaps ill-considered post on Facebook led someone to un-friend me. It is a shame when someone chooses to walk away (figuratively or otherwise), but it happens.

I disagree with many people. I may or may not believe in God though I do believe in what I was taught as a Christian. I get things wrong. I am quick to judge sometimes and act on impulse. I don't believe it is right to force spiritual and religious beliefs on others. I accept that others have different beliefs than mine. I don't know if there is a God or not, though I think not. However, I do know that if God exists, He made me this way for a reason. I believe He wouldn't appreciate the heinous things people do in His name. I believe everyone deserves the same rights for a reason, regardless of their race, creed, sexuality or personal beliefs. I believe I am allowed to question everything and accept nothing on face value for a reason. I believe no one but a woman has a right to control what she does with her own body for a reason.

It's okay to disagree with me. It's okay to think I'm wrong. It's just not okay to tell me to shut up or hide my views just because they make you uncomfortable. If you feel uncomfortable, look inside yourself to find out why, don't look at others. They don't control how you feel, you do.