Next to good health, the most important thing a dolphin warrior can have is good friends. This is because friends contribute so much to our health: physically mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I would like to talk to you about the importance of friendship and the many types of friends you can have in your life.
There are Many Types of Friendship
There are many types of friendship. Some friends are closer than others. This doesn’t change the importance of friendship though. The levels of closeness depend on the degree of commitment to the friendship and values shared between you. In my book, Talking to Dolphins, Makai learns many lessons about the importance of friendship, among other valuable lessons.
Here are some examples of different types of friendships:
- Lifelong friends
- Best friends
- Close friends
- Casual friends or acquaintances
Lifelong Friends
Lifelong friends are those people you’ve known a good share of your life. They can be kids from your block or school. They may be friends you spend a lot of time with or people you know by name only and barely anything else. Lifelong friends can become best or close friends.
Best Friends
Best friends are those people with whom you share your deepest feelings and emotions. These are people who support you and contribute to your well-being. They may not agree with everything you say or do, but they do want the best for you. They don’t keep score of what they have done for you or you for them. You support each other; win, lose, or draw. They are there when you need them the most without being asked as well as you for them. When you suffer, they suffer. They never betray your trust or gossip about your most intimate conversations. They know the unwritten laws of true friendship as well as you.
Close Friends
Close friends are like best friends, but the friendship is not as deep as with best friends. Over time and under the right circumstances, close friends could become best friends. This also applies to best friends who become close friends. Essentially, the difference between the two boils down to the amount of trust and shared values. Over time, values and circumstances can change. It’s a very natural thing. Are you starting to see the importance of friendship with all types of friends?
Casual Friends or Acquaintances
Casual friends are people you have known for a long time but have not grown close to over that time. They could be anyone you see often, such as at school, the store, the postal person, or whomever. You exchange greetings with each other or smile in acknowledgment of their presence. In other words, you interact with each other. Some may even become close/best friends. Each of these four can become interchangeable because of the changes in our lives. This is why the importance of friendship applies to all these types of friends.
Speaking of the importance of friendship!
We’re talking about friendships with living people in flesh and blood that you physically know personally, not some online friend or avatar from social media. These online friends may send you a picture of themselves, but you don’t really know them unless you meet them in person. Even then, they may not be who they say they are.
This is important: Anything you say or put on the internet/social media is shared with the world. Privacy no longer exists. If you don’t want the world to know something, don’t put it on the internet.
All Friends are Good to Have in Your Life!
The importance of friendship relates to all types of friends. The more friends you have, the better. Think of your friends. Do you know which ones are your close friends? Lifelong friends? What are their names? What do you like best about your friendship with them?
We’ll have more to say about friendship in future Food for Thought blog posts.