Can You Recognize Your Real Friends?
As a child, our first set of friends, are usually our siblings or cousins. This relationship stems from our parents and their relationships with their siblings or cousins. However once we enter grade school or in my case pre-K, ones personality really begins to bloom based on their comfort level in a not so comfortable environment at first. That’s when you start to recognize growth in a child. “You must leave your comfort zone to succeed”. I suppose that is true, we had to go to school with strangers to get an education. Home school wasn’t available back in those days. (Did I really just say that?) “Back in those days.”
I have a friend, I now call her my sister, I met her in Pre-K, and we still communicate regularly. This kind of friendship is pretty rare, especially nowadays. Most of my true friendships are over 20 plus to 40 years old. I have to say, I am very proud of that. Growing up, people always said, I was a real “social butterfly”. That’s probably a true statement even today. That’s just who I am, however just because I like to socialize and I may have many acquaintances everyone is NOT my friend. My father gave me the real back when I was very young, he told me to beware of the friend that is constantly smiling in your face. Everyone is NOT your friend.
Having associates, colleagues and classmates is different than real friends. However, some of those relationships turn into genuine friendships.
Real friends talk about real life situations. Real friends support one another’s goals. Real friends celebrate your success and achievements. Real friends tell you when you are wrong and help you fix it if they can. Real friends don’t always agree with everything you say or do. Real friends challenge you to do better. Real friends pray together. Real friends can be in a crowded room and the only person they hear or see is you, because the conversation is just that deep. Real friends don’t just call when things are going good or bad. Real friends call just because. Real friends know your favorite song or have a particular song, that remind them of just you. Real friends laugh and cry with you. Real friends defend you right or wrong. Real friends just know exactly what to do and when to do it. Real friends borrow or trade clothes. Real friends have moments between them that only you know and probably will never tell a soul. Real friends can glance at you and the other will understand. Real friends are real because they never go away.
Just in case you didn’t know:
Not so real friends, talk about you behind your back and would never say it to your face. Not so real friends are “sometimey”, funny I got that word from a NOT so real friend. Not so real friends are seasonal. Not so real friends don’t care if you look good or feel good you are only a temporary placeholder for the moment. Not so real friends will let others talk badly about you.
If you have to question if you should become friends with someone, pay attention to how they treat their other friends and most important how they treat their family. Real Friends Become Family. There are many more ways to detect a real friend vs a non-friend. Just be careful who you call your friend.
How do you know the difference between your real friends and your not so real friends? Join in the conversation! Contact me today… I’d love to hear from you!