my talk
so i figure if i post this the day of antioch, it will still be a surprise for most.
Friendship Talk
Have you ever thought about what it would be like if you had no one to talk to, no one to confide in, no one to goof around with, if you had not even one friend? Pretty awful thought huh? Have you ever wondered why that’s so awful, why we all have such a need for people, such a need to know we belong? I know I have, which also explains why I have so many stories and thoughts about friendship, and I’m sure you do as well. We all have relationships with people, whether they are big or small, it’s these relationships that shape who we are. Sometimes it’s the laughter of a good friend or just a smile from an acutance, or a kiss from your significant other or maybe a hug from your mom, or a compliment from your dad, or reading a story with your brother, or playing games with your two little cousins, whatever it may be it is these little things that make us who we are and let us know how much we are loved.
What is a friend you ask? Well, we all have our different opinions on what makes a friend a friend. To me, a friend is someone who you can trust with your life, someone who listens to all your problems, someone who isn’t afraid to share their troubles with you, someone who you can be as crazy as you want to be with, someone who will never judge you, someone who will forgive you no matter how stupid you were, someone who will always know what to say and how to help.
I am lucky enough to find such friends outside my family and even within it. My mom and I have an amazing relationship where I feel like I can tell almost anything to her and she seems at ease to give me great advice, sometimes referring to her own personal experiences as a child. Now, just because we have the ability to share with each other doesn’t mean everything is perfect, we disagree on a number of topics and there is never a week without a screaming fight, but just like with friends those fights seem to make the relationship stronger once we forgive each other. My dad and I don’t have that same closeness, although I wish we did, I wish I had the ability to talk more with him because I know he has a lot of good opinions too and I know he wants to talk with me too. I haven’t figured out yet what is blocking this, but once I get through the block I’ll let you know. Just because my Dad and I don’t talk so much, doesn’t mean we aren’t close, we just hold a different bond. We have the ability to joke around, he has certainly influenced my happy-go-lucky attitude as well as my argumentative skills. My parent and I have our differences but I know they love me which is all that really matters.
Even my brother, I would consider my friend, he is 13 and has temporal lobe epilepsy with symptoms of a high-functioning autistic. This basically means that he at times can have trouble with his anger, trouble in social situations; making it hard for him to make friends sometimes, and a great deal of learning problems, mentally he is probably the age of a 7 year old. Despite all the hardships that he has and the challenges that my family and I face due to the illness, he is a true blessing. He has a great sense of humor and always makes me laugh when I’m down. He has taught me a lot, like how to be patient how to appreciate the little beauties found in life. He generally isn’t very serious, nor does he show much emotion aside from anger and excitement, but every now and then I can catch him in a talkative mood and we can have some pretty interesting conversations, adds a little variety to my life! My friends outside of my family have definitely helped me deal with the challenges that comes with having a brother like Michael, they, like me, find him hilarious, and I never have to worry about his “out bursts” embarrassing me when I’m around them.
One of these friends, we will call her Sandy, I have known since we were 4. We have certainly endured quite a few tragedies, and a whole bunch of enjoyments. It’s been 13 years but I can still remember the day that we met like it was yesterday. We were both in the baby pool of Little Neck swim and racquet club. I walked up to her and said, “Hi my name’s Laura want to be my friend?” Well, like any other 4 year old probably would have done, she ran away afraid of this weird person, who was myself. From there we saw each other every now and then, how she decided I wasn’t a complete crazy person I’m not sure, actually I don’t think that opinion ever did change, which is quite alright because she is just as crazy. There wasn’t one time that when we saw each other that we didn’t spend at least 30 minutes just laughing non-stop. However, we didn’t really become close until my best friend moved away and she moved away from her best friend. Unable to keep in touch with our lost best friends we kept in touch with each other, and saw each other almost every day, developing an unbreakable bond. I’d like to think that the tragedy of losing my best friend to the far away state of Washington was God’s little way of saying, “Hey, be friends, you need each other more than you ever will know.” Soon, a third friend came into the picture, we will call her Marty. I had known Marty for just about as long as I had Sandy, we had been on the same soccer team when we were 5 and I talked to her a little, I thought she was nice, but it wasn’t until we were reunited at Sandy’s 12th birthday party that Marty and I really started to become friends. By getting a second opportunity years later to make friends with Marty, I think God might have been trying to tell me something, you know along the lines of, “Befriend her she will be a good one.” Sandy, Marty, and I soon became like the three musketeers. We got into fights every now and then about being excluded from one another, but for the most part we were never seen apart, we were in separable. A few years later, things started to break that bond, what could possibly do this? Oh boy, nothing else but…boys. Marty started to like this one boy who supposedly liked her back, but upon meeting me, he decided he liked me better, and I thought I might actually like him. Well, with a mixture of jealousy and misunderstandings and mistakes, we got into a very big fight. But, like all good friends do, we said our sorrys and made up. There were other fights that came along for other stupid reasons, but we never gave up on our friendship, which just made us grow stronger as friends. Marty certainly was on the verge of becoming a boy crazy teenager. Sandy, on the other hand, never started to show a big interest in boys, until recently when she found “the love of her life,” we will him Danny. Well, the moment they started dating it’s been bye bye Sandy and hello Sandy and Danny. Never do we see them apart and it’s not very often that we see Sandy’s serious and emotional side either. I know she has a lot of stuff going on in her life, with her parents divorce and 4 other brothers to deal with, what makes me so sad is that she just doesn’t seem able to open up to me or Marty about her troubles, I feel like we are slowly fading away due to this Danny. I like Danny, he is a funny guy, and I can very much tell how much he likes Sandy, and it makes me so happy to see them both so happy. Which makes it even the more harder to tell Sandy my feelings. We have gotten into a few fights about not keeping in touch enough and they have all ended with ok next weekend, just us. But, somehow he always comes into the picture. It’s becoming a great challenge but I think we will get through it, because none of us want to see the great bond that we have become broken.
Sandy and Marty have been such great friends to me, I feel like I can tell them anything. They seem to be able to tell if I’m upset even if I’m trying so hard not to let them know. They know just what to say when I’m down too, they let me know all the positives about me, and we can all be really sappy, but that just makes us so much closer. With out them, I don’t think I would have any ability to be an open person(which I still need to work on) and I don’t think I would be able to deal with some of the troubles I have, I would certainly be a very different person. I can only hope and pray I have done the same for them.
We have all done our share to get, a not so good perception of ourselves to our parents. My parents have begun to tell me that I need to find new people to hang out with, because well, they are “bad news.” Let me expand upon this. One night the three of us stupidly decided that we would get a little drunk. Well a little turned into a lot and Sandy and I threw up, Sandy was a lot worse off than I was though, she could barely walk, barely stay conscience. This was probably one of the scariest nights of my life. We knew we needed to call someone, but who we didn’t know. We ended up calling Sandy’s boy, Danny. Everything ended up being ok, and believe me we haven’t stopped thinking how stupid we were that night. Anyways, our parents somehow found out as all parents seem to have that weird way of finding things out. My parents haven’t banned me from seeing them, but they certainly are too keen on us hanging out too much anymore.
But, we will not even let this great test of friendship break our bond though. We have our faults, just like everyone else, and the great thing about our friendship is that we can look past the faults and enjoy each of us as us. In the bible, in Samuel 20, David and Jonathon faced a similar test as Jonathon’s father wanted David dead because of jealousy, and they risked their lives to maintain their friendship. While my parents don’t want Sandy and Marty dead, they don’t want me to see as much of them as I once did, which won’t be hard to do as we all have such busy lives. But, I can assure you that no one will ever break our bond. I think God put both Sandy and Marty in my life for a reason, which is also why I don’t ever want to see our friendship end. I’m pretty sure that reason is for us to help each other out with our problems, because the three of us have had some pretty big misfortunes in our lives.
I believe that all the people God has put in my life, were put in it for a reason and it’s my job to find out what that reason is despite the challenges involved. I have had challenges with keeping all my friendships current, but hopefully by praying God will help me find the time I need to do so.
I would also consider God, a friend of mine. As I confide in Him all my fears and all my sins, hoping for forgiveness and reassurance and strength.
I’d like to now thank God for the Friendships he has allowed me to develop and for the friendship I have found in Him, with a prayer from Sirach.
God of Friendship,
Thank you for my friends, especially for those who give me wise advice.
Thank you for my closest friends whom I see every day, who motivate me to grow and serve.
Thank you for all the good friends whom I used to see more often but don’t see as much anymore.
LORD, continue to give me good friends throughout my life, and help me to be a better friend to all. Amen.
Friendship Talk
Have you ever thought about what it would be like if you had no one to talk to, no one to confide in, no one to goof around with, if you had not even one friend? Pretty awful thought huh? Have you ever wondered why that’s so awful, why we all have such a need for people, such a need to know we belong? I know I have, which also explains why I have so many stories and thoughts about friendship, and I’m sure you do as well. We all have relationships with people, whether they are big or small, it’s these relationships that shape who we are. Sometimes it’s the laughter of a good friend or just a smile from an acutance, or a kiss from your significant other or maybe a hug from your mom, or a compliment from your dad, or reading a story with your brother, or playing games with your two little cousins, whatever it may be it is these little things that make us who we are and let us know how much we are loved.
What is a friend you ask? Well, we all have our different opinions on what makes a friend a friend. To me, a friend is someone who you can trust with your life, someone who listens to all your problems, someone who isn’t afraid to share their troubles with you, someone who you can be as crazy as you want to be with, someone who will never judge you, someone who will forgive you no matter how stupid you were, someone who will always know what to say and how to help.
I am lucky enough to find such friends outside my family and even within it. My mom and I have an amazing relationship where I feel like I can tell almost anything to her and she seems at ease to give me great advice, sometimes referring to her own personal experiences as a child. Now, just because we have the ability to share with each other doesn’t mean everything is perfect, we disagree on a number of topics and there is never a week without a screaming fight, but just like with friends those fights seem to make the relationship stronger once we forgive each other. My dad and I don’t have that same closeness, although I wish we did, I wish I had the ability to talk more with him because I know he has a lot of good opinions too and I know he wants to talk with me too. I haven’t figured out yet what is blocking this, but once I get through the block I’ll let you know. Just because my Dad and I don’t talk so much, doesn’t mean we aren’t close, we just hold a different bond. We have the ability to joke around, he has certainly influenced my happy-go-lucky attitude as well as my argumentative skills. My parent and I have our differences but I know they love me which is all that really matters.
Even my brother, I would consider my friend, he is 13 and has temporal lobe epilepsy with symptoms of a high-functioning autistic. This basically means that he at times can have trouble with his anger, trouble in social situations; making it hard for him to make friends sometimes, and a great deal of learning problems, mentally he is probably the age of a 7 year old. Despite all the hardships that he has and the challenges that my family and I face due to the illness, he is a true blessing. He has a great sense of humor and always makes me laugh when I’m down. He has taught me a lot, like how to be patient how to appreciate the little beauties found in life. He generally isn’t very serious, nor does he show much emotion aside from anger and excitement, but every now and then I can catch him in a talkative mood and we can have some pretty interesting conversations, adds a little variety to my life! My friends outside of my family have definitely helped me deal with the challenges that comes with having a brother like Michael, they, like me, find him hilarious, and I never have to worry about his “out bursts” embarrassing me when I’m around them.
One of these friends, we will call her Sandy, I have known since we were 4. We have certainly endured quite a few tragedies, and a whole bunch of enjoyments. It’s been 13 years but I can still remember the day that we met like it was yesterday. We were both in the baby pool of Little Neck swim and racquet club. I walked up to her and said, “Hi my name’s Laura want to be my friend?” Well, like any other 4 year old probably would have done, she ran away afraid of this weird person, who was myself. From there we saw each other every now and then, how she decided I wasn’t a complete crazy person I’m not sure, actually I don’t think that opinion ever did change, which is quite alright because she is just as crazy. There wasn’t one time that when we saw each other that we didn’t spend at least 30 minutes just laughing non-stop. However, we didn’t really become close until my best friend moved away and she moved away from her best friend. Unable to keep in touch with our lost best friends we kept in touch with each other, and saw each other almost every day, developing an unbreakable bond. I’d like to think that the tragedy of losing my best friend to the far away state of Washington was God’s little way of saying, “Hey, be friends, you need each other more than you ever will know.” Soon, a third friend came into the picture, we will call her Marty. I had known Marty for just about as long as I had Sandy, we had been on the same soccer team when we were 5 and I talked to her a little, I thought she was nice, but it wasn’t until we were reunited at Sandy’s 12th birthday party that Marty and I really started to become friends. By getting a second opportunity years later to make friends with Marty, I think God might have been trying to tell me something, you know along the lines of, “Befriend her she will be a good one.” Sandy, Marty, and I soon became like the three musketeers. We got into fights every now and then about being excluded from one another, but for the most part we were never seen apart, we were in separable. A few years later, things started to break that bond, what could possibly do this? Oh boy, nothing else but…boys. Marty started to like this one boy who supposedly liked her back, but upon meeting me, he decided he liked me better, and I thought I might actually like him. Well, with a mixture of jealousy and misunderstandings and mistakes, we got into a very big fight. But, like all good friends do, we said our sorrys and made up. There were other fights that came along for other stupid reasons, but we never gave up on our friendship, which just made us grow stronger as friends. Marty certainly was on the verge of becoming a boy crazy teenager. Sandy, on the other hand, never started to show a big interest in boys, until recently when she found “the love of her life,” we will him Danny. Well, the moment they started dating it’s been bye bye Sandy and hello Sandy and Danny. Never do we see them apart and it’s not very often that we see Sandy’s serious and emotional side either. I know she has a lot of stuff going on in her life, with her parents divorce and 4 other brothers to deal with, what makes me so sad is that she just doesn’t seem able to open up to me or Marty about her troubles, I feel like we are slowly fading away due to this Danny. I like Danny, he is a funny guy, and I can very much tell how much he likes Sandy, and it makes me so happy to see them both so happy. Which makes it even the more harder to tell Sandy my feelings. We have gotten into a few fights about not keeping in touch enough and they have all ended with ok next weekend, just us. But, somehow he always comes into the picture. It’s becoming a great challenge but I think we will get through it, because none of us want to see the great bond that we have become broken.
Sandy and Marty have been such great friends to me, I feel like I can tell them anything. They seem to be able to tell if I’m upset even if I’m trying so hard not to let them know. They know just what to say when I’m down too, they let me know all the positives about me, and we can all be really sappy, but that just makes us so much closer. With out them, I don’t think I would have any ability to be an open person(which I still need to work on) and I don’t think I would be able to deal with some of the troubles I have, I would certainly be a very different person. I can only hope and pray I have done the same for them.
We have all done our share to get, a not so good perception of ourselves to our parents. My parents have begun to tell me that I need to find new people to hang out with, because well, they are “bad news.” Let me expand upon this. One night the three of us stupidly decided that we would get a little drunk. Well a little turned into a lot and Sandy and I threw up, Sandy was a lot worse off than I was though, she could barely walk, barely stay conscience. This was probably one of the scariest nights of my life. We knew we needed to call someone, but who we didn’t know. We ended up calling Sandy’s boy, Danny. Everything ended up being ok, and believe me we haven’t stopped thinking how stupid we were that night. Anyways, our parents somehow found out as all parents seem to have that weird way of finding things out. My parents haven’t banned me from seeing them, but they certainly are too keen on us hanging out too much anymore.
But, we will not even let this great test of friendship break our bond though. We have our faults, just like everyone else, and the great thing about our friendship is that we can look past the faults and enjoy each of us as us. In the bible, in Samuel 20, David and Jonathon faced a similar test as Jonathon’s father wanted David dead because of jealousy, and they risked their lives to maintain their friendship. While my parents don’t want Sandy and Marty dead, they don’t want me to see as much of them as I once did, which won’t be hard to do as we all have such busy lives. But, I can assure you that no one will ever break our bond. I think God put both Sandy and Marty in my life for a reason, which is also why I don’t ever want to see our friendship end. I’m pretty sure that reason is for us to help each other out with our problems, because the three of us have had some pretty big misfortunes in our lives.
I believe that all the people God has put in my life, were put in it for a reason and it’s my job to find out what that reason is despite the challenges involved. I have had challenges with keeping all my friendships current, but hopefully by praying God will help me find the time I need to do so.
I would also consider God, a friend of mine. As I confide in Him all my fears and all my sins, hoping for forgiveness and reassurance and strength.
I’d like to now thank God for the Friendships he has allowed me to develop and for the friendship I have found in Him, with a prayer from Sirach.
God of Friendship,
Thank you for my friends, especially for those who give me wise advice.
Thank you for my closest friends whom I see every day, who motivate me to grow and serve.
Thank you for all the good friends whom I used to see more often but don’t see as much anymore.
LORD, continue to give me good friends throughout my life, and help me to be a better friend to all. Amen.