Day 4 - Count on Me

(Yes, this is a day late.  The day got away from me for many reasons yesterday. I'll post 2 today.)

In my mind, one of the most underrated types of love is that of friendship.  Family is often hailed as the primary relationship that can be counted on when all else fails.  According to bell hooks, one of my new favorite authors, "many of us learn as children that friendship should never be seen as just as important as family ties.  However, friendship is the place in which a great majority of us have our first glimpse of redemptive love and caring community" (All About Love, 134).  I’m not saying that family isn’t important, but for me, the relationships of my friends have far outweighed the relational influence of family in life because of the way things have gone in my life.  The love shared among friends is rarely sung about in songs or talked about as much as romantic love or family love, but I think it deserves a bit more attention.  For that reason, I chose “Count on Me” as my song for today.  

 While families tend to stick together and relate because they have to, friends are relationships that you get to choose, and this freedom can make for great strength in a relationship.  In my mind, because a friend is not tied to you by the obligation of blood, their decision to stay with you through the good and bad, ugly and beautiful, ups and downs, speaks to a strong love and acceptance, provided that it's a healthy, accepting relationship.  Thankfully, I've been blessed with some amazing friends in which I am free to be myself.  Because of this freedom, I'm able to grow and become more of myself, maturing and learning to love more deeply and fully.  I've also had friends who stick by me when my insecurities and quirks made it difficult and for that I am grateful.  It's good to know that I can count on some of the people in my life, and I am inspired by them to be the best friend I can be in return.

Think about the people you call 'friend.'  Yes, Facebook has named everyone that we are connected to friends, but think about the real true friends who are in your life.  What do those relationships look like  Are they freeing, healthy, positively influential?  Friends can be a great source of joy.  Be sure that you have some and make yourself one as well.