There is an old saying that friends are the family you choose.
Let’s be honest. Not everyone has a Norman Rockwell family where movie nights and supportive bonding follow weekly Sunday dinners. In fact, outside of sharing the same bloodline, some family members have no similarities at all (other than sharing the common denominator of having nothing in common).
Regardless of the situation and underneath certain unparalleled exteriors, there is still an unconditional love with (most) families. In other words, you don’t necessarily have to like someone to love them.
Friendships almost always entail actually liking the person. When was the last time you went to a movie with the rude co-worker who smelled like onions?
Threading within the walls of true friendship is where you will find the fabric of your own heart.
It is a special moment when two people connect over nothing more than platonic chemistry. When we grow older, we protect this bond. Time does not tatter and tear these connections, either. In fact years of friendships only complement us. Beyond crow’s feet, slowing metabolism and gray hair lays the beauty of our true inner selves. We complement one another with every time stamp we earn, celebrating who we are as human beings.
We stand up for our friends. We listen to them rant about the driver who cut them off or we make them laugh when they feel anxious. Even if we never ask for help a friend is there, knowing you would do the same for them.
Friendships are the warm blankets you reach for without needing to turn on the lights. They are sunsets to the sea, complementing colors wrapped in a warm glow of just being present.
So why is it that we sometimes don't treat ourselves with the same type of friendship and love? When your friends feel like giving up, how do you support them? When they reach a tiny goal in life, how do you congratulate them? Remember to treat yourself the same way. Without "me", there could be no "we".
."You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection" - Buddha