Being A Friend

The love of adults for one another has long seemed to people in our civilization to be one of the most important and desirable things in life. It is a blend of many things--partly romance but partly everyday practicality, giving but also getting, trusting but also being trusted, taking care of and being taken care of. Even more, it is the sharing of experiences, of hopes, of fears, of pleasures, of sorrows. And, above all, it gives, as its greatest gift to each individual, a feeling of belonging and a sense of completeness.
Morton Hunt

In order to be friends with someone, one must first know how to be, primarily one's true self in all its wholeness. Being whole is in itself a gift, like faith, something innately ours if we are open to it.
Often in today's world, we are raised with the idea that we are not innately gifted with wholeness, but that we come into this world unwhole--or unholy. And the messages we may receive as we journey through life confirm our unholiness rather than the opposite. The question, "What the heck is wrong with you?" that we hear as children is one example.

A change of mindset can change the way we perceive ourselves, others, and the world around us. Thinking of ourselves as blessings, for example, rather than as sinners, can greatly influence our attitudes and actions for the better.

There is a story told about a woman who found herself standing on the edge of a cliff, petrified by fear of plunging to her death, until a kindly monk walked by and suggested she take three steps back and change her perspective. Like her, we too can change our perspectives.

Practice:

Take time today to change your perspective with regard to yourself and the people around you by thinking of yourself and others as blessings put on this earth by God. Think of what it means to you to be a blessing, and come up with five ways you would imagine a blessing would act--toward family members, friends, co-workers, enemies, and strangers. Write these ways down on small pieces of paper and carry them with you today, in your pocket or pocket book or wherever might be a place where you can easily touch them. Make them your traveling companions, and take them out and share them with others through your actions as often during the day as you can.
When you catch yourself doing this, you will also realize you're being a friend.

As a blessing to family, I will. . .
As a blessing to a friend, I will. . .

As a blessing to a co-worker, I will. . .

As a blessing to a, so called, enemy, I will. . .

As a blessing to a stranger, I will. . .

Meditation contributed by AG

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