The Meaning With Friends And Family

I recently read an article here in a major Norwegian newspaper about a guy in Sweden who had been dead for at least three years in his unlocked apartment! They assume this based on the fact that the food in his refridgerator was dated about three years back. The guy had an automatic paying system for his bills, so everything was paid on time and thus no suspicions were raised that way. Amazingly enough, this guy had relatives, whom he obviously didn’t have very much contact with, and they never bothered to check in on this family member…that blew me away.

Are we so busy in our own lives that we don’t notice when we haven’t heard or seen from a relative in over three years? I mean, I have many relatives I haven’t seen in years, but you usually hear something about them through other family members…wouldn’t you wonder if you heard nothing??

I’ve been thinking a lot about life and the people in my life lately. Several unexpected deaths over the last couple years have made me stop up and think. So many times we get so caught up in our own lives, we’re busy, we have jobs, kids to run around, responsibilities to take care of, and whether we want to or not we sometimes forget to take care of the very things that make our lives valuable….our friends and family. Our friends give diversity to our lives…

Our friends generally reflect our values, our likes, and remind us who we are or what kind of people we want to be…

Our friends are there for us when we need a shoulder to lean on….or cry on….

Our friends aren’t limited to humans….sometimes our pets can be the best friends we have…they know when we need someone to just be there….even if nothing is said…they are there and we aren’t alone….

Family can be some of our best friends also….they know us better then anyone and they see us in our best times and our worst times and they love us unconditionally….

Sometimes it’s our mothers we stand closest too…

Other times it’s our Dads who understand us best…

Sometimes the family members who fight the most are the ones who are the closest friends….they see themselves reflected in each other and sometimes this is a good thing and sometimes it’s a bad thing…but the bond is strong and undeniable…

Having a best friend in your partner in life is a blessing…someone you can share everything with….you can cry with, get angry with, laugh with, and love with….

The person you want to grow old with and who will know you  better then anyone….

A best friend who stays with you through thick and thin, good times and bad, sickness and in health…..

Until the very end…..

Your friends and family never give up on you….no matter how busy you get, how angry you make them, how much you disagree, or how little you see them…..they keep coming back….

Because you matter….you give their lives value, you make them laugh, you care, you’re loyal, they can be themselves with you no matter what and they know you’ll always be there even when they don’t see you very often or when you disagree….true friends don’t run out on you…they last…

You can count your life blessed if upon your death bed you can count five true friends who weren’t just acquaintences, who didn’t leave when things got tough, who knew you- your good sides and bad sides and loved you all the same. Friends who told you it like it is, straight up and honest, all your life….friends who encouraged you to be the best you could be but loved you just the same when you couldn’t quite measure up all the time….friends you could be with without saying a word and feel they understood everything you were thinking….friends who loved the serious sides of you and laughed at the goofy sides of you…

Friends who had your back….and didn’t talk behind it….

Life is short….every day is a gift, treasure the friends and family in your life, and never take anything for granted…

Until next time my friends…..