In reading today, I came across this. It puts words and voice to what I have always thought and felt. I wanted to share.
Emotional love, that connection to the soul and mind, heart and personality of another is friendship. It is the acme of undying love. It exists without expectations and it grows on air. Unfortunately, it is often confused in a modern world accustomed more to multiple connections than to soul mates. As a result, we talk about “friends” when what we really mean are associates, acquaintances, colleagues, or sometime companions. A friend, however—a real friend—has grown with us as we have grown. A friend knows our soul, supports us through our weaknesses, prods us, and sustains our strengths. A friend is the person you call at 3:00 a.m. who answers the phone when the pain is unbearable or the fear is destructive. It’s a friend who stays on the line with you until all the demons disappear. - What Are You Looking For? Seeking the God Who Is Seeking You by Chittister, Joan, OSB The Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. defines friendship as:
Reciprocal love. In philosophical terms a friend is a person whom one knows and loves well and by whom one is known and loved for virtuous reasons. The biblical notion of friendship, in the New Testament, adds the feature of total selflessness after the example of Jesus Christ, whose love was generous, forgiving, and sought only the welfare of those whom he loved. The sharing of confidences is also part of the biblical understanding of friendship.
I have often considered friendship and the value I place upon it and those who I truly consider “My Friends”. I look at my life and the people who have come in and gone out of my little circle. There are many, who for a time have played a significant role and have fallen away. I value the time spent with each. I value what I have learned from them, shared with them and the growth experienced. I honestly hope that they feel the same way. But the small circle, who through time and circumstances remain at my side and I at theirs, are those who are the most valued of gifts. My circle may be small, perhaps smaller than most. But this circle of friends is indeed those who will be with me, who understand me, allow me to be the true me. They accept me and I them. My life is richer and fuller because of them. These are the people who, when the Lord calls them to his side, I will mourn the loss but celebrate their victory.
In today’s society success is measured by the wealth you have accumulated, the influence you wield, and the power you possess. However, I would like my success, my legacy, my life to be measured by the friends I have made and the impact I have had on their lives, the impact I have had on those who may have come into my life for a short time, and the impact I have had on those who I may not directly known. Yes, I hope to be judged and remember by the biblical notion of friendship. For it is the memories and impact on others that in the end will endure.