Friendship

"Maybe, he thought, there aren’t any such things as good friends or bad friends- maybe there are just friends, people who stand by you when you’re hurt and help you feel not so lonely. Maybe they’re always worth being scared for, and hoping for, and living for. Maybe worth dying for, too, if that’s what has to be. No good friends, no bad friends. Only people you want, need to be with; people who build their houses in your heart." 

- Stephen King"

In your life, you are going to meet countless amounts of different types of people. You are going to meet good people, bad people, rude people, funny people, kind people, strong people, people who care about you and people who don't really give a damn about you. 

In my young, 23 years, I have encountered people who have inspired me, people who have drained me, people who have tried to change me, and people who have helped make me a better person. I've had to make decisions to remove people from my life, who didn't believe in me, support me and who all in all, brought me down. 

What I've learned is that there are many different types of people who are going to walk into your life. Some are going to stay, some will leave as you grow older, some will go and come back here and there, and some you have to leave yourself. But there are friends who will stay in your heart forever, no matter the distance, how long it's been since you've last been together, none of that matters. The good ones, the ones who inspire you and you can rely on, those are the special ones. This friendship is so important - these people are the ones who have been with your through the bad, through the good, the ones who support you, cry with you, laugh with you (drink with you!). Be thankful for them, and keep them always close to your heart.

We do however, need people in our lives who inspire us, but more so, who challenge us. There was a quote from Eat, Love, Pray that has always stood out to me. As we do need friends who inspire us, who are kind, there for us, we also need someone who will challenge us. We tend to get stuck, not moving forward, accepting mediocrity and ordinary, this is where that person comes in. Eat, Love, Pray speaks of this 'challenging' person as your soulmate, and I do believe in your life you will meet several people who play this role, of breaking you open, pushing you past your comfort zone and into the wild, helping you create a new beginning, a new adventure, taking risks. Someone who changes you, inspires you, challenges you, loves you and who in the end, might leave you. This person doesn't need to be the love of your life, just someone who understands you and wants to see you become a better person, achieve all of the things they know you are capable of. A good friend, a kind soul, someone who won't accept your 'what if's' and your 'can'ts' and your settling for mediocrity.

"People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. 

A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave. 

A soul mates purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you have to transform your life."

And in the honour of thanksgiving, be thankful for your friends. The ones who have always been there for you, the ones who have helped you, changed you, inspired you and challenged you. Thank your friends for always being there, for giving you strength when you had little. Be thankful.