Friends:

those people who know how to push the right buttons and at the right time.

the ones who push you to be better and to see better.

they propel you to the right direction and hold you when you miss your step.

the ones who know your weaknesses and love you regardless.

Friends:

those angels that God and life bring our way to help, support and cheer us on.

Friends.

the ones who laugh with us and cry with us

The ones who pray with us and dance with us in thanksgiving.

Friends.

those ones who are not afraid to tell us the truth

and will find a way to do it gently

those ones who are not slow to defend us

those ones who know our idiosyncrasies

and still hang around.

Friends.

those ones that come and go

and leave their marks on our hearts.

those ones who hurt us sometimes

and we hurt sometimes

but forgiveness comes easy to our hearts and to theirs.

Friends.

knows no age, gender, creed or race.

fears no distance or boundaries.

Nothing compares to the blessing of a friend who see you for who you are. A friend who is not fazed by the grey spots you might show. Someone who encourages you to grow and grows right along with you. That person who will spur you on to greatness and cheer you on all the way.

 There are few treasures as great as a friend who knows what happiness means for you, who makes an effort to see you happy,  and is happy to be around you. There are not many blessings as precious as that friend who pushes you to be your best self and who believes in you more than you believe in yourself.  

That friend who equally lets himself or herself be inspired by you. Someone who learns from you and has a sincere admiration, respect and appreciation for the gifts you have.

If you’re wise, you’ll surround yourself with people who love you well enough to support you emotionally, physically, intellectually and spiritually.  You will find people who you can share your dreams and ideas with.

I have recently come across a book titled; Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship. And it has highlighted a few things I have always known about friendships. It has reaffirmed my desire and quest to build such inspiring friendships.

C.S Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien were fellows at Oxford and  members of a reading group called The Inklings, an informal literary discussion group associated with Oxford University. It had teachers, writers and friends who met regularly at a well-known pub in Oxford to discuss their favourite books or their own works.

In 1936, they decided that the world needed more novels that had faith and morality as their central theme. Lewis and Tolkien decided to write science fiction after realising the inferior quality of similar books being published at the time. They literally tossed a coin to decide who would write a book on space travel versus time travel.

Tolkien got the time travel nod, but his early efforts writing about it didn’t work out. However, he persevered and went on to write The Lord of The Rings. Lewis wrote his famous series of novels called The Space Trilogy and from that momentum he eventually wrote The Chronicles Of Narnia. They both encouraged and helped each other along their literary journeys and subsequent successes.

Now, everyone’s story is different and maybe a different kind or level of success awaits you, but the truth is that you’ll go further with the encouragement of true friends than you will without it.

So, ask yourself who around you is that kind of friend?

Have you been blessed with a friend who opens your eye and mind and who stretches your imagination?

Is there someone in your life who makes you see things in a different light and who challenges your opinions, perspectives and orientation to issues?

Someone who lights you up and expands your understanding and who shares knowledge with you?

If you ever find that someone who celebrates your strengths and finds ways to help you overcome your weaknesses,

 value them, treasure them and cherish them.

Don’t let them go for as long as they let you

hold on to them for as long as you can.

Irrespective of age, gender, creed or race.

And if you think you do not have any such person or people in your life,  find out how to cultivate the kind of friendships that will help you fulfil your potentials.

It may mean coming out of your shell and reaching out. Do it.

It may entail opening yourself to hurt and rejection. Sure, but when you find what you need, it will all be worth it.

Let me know if you have been blessed with true friends. How are you being a true friend?

#TME