Hold on to the lesson, if not the person
A smart woman that I met late last year when I was feeling particularly uncreative and uninspired told me that she believes strongly that people meet for a reason, and sometimes just for a season. I’ve always thought that when you meet someone, find some common points and become friends, as long as the mutual like and respect remains, your friendship has to grow deeper, and if that means you have to work hard to make this happen, so be it.
However recent events have me having second thoughts. Maybe it is possible for someone to come into your life for a brief period of time and accomplish what they were meant to do in your life—give you a new perspective on life, answer a question that has been plaguing you for ages, support you at a time where you feel that nobody around you is there for you. Maybe these fleeting friendships aren’t meant to get any deeper. And most important, if that is the case, that is ok.
If you are faced with such a case, where you felt a need to reach out to someone going through a rough time despite that person not being your usual “friend material”, or if you are touched by somebody who doesn’t seem interested in being anything more than acquaintances, I encourage you to hold on to the lesson you have learned from the person. Long after you’ve forgotten the name of the person who believed in you enough to sponsor you, or the coworker who always asked you how you were doing, the memories of how their presence improved your life will remain. You won’t always be able to remain close friends with everyone despite your very best intentions, and sometimes, a deep friendship isn’t the goal. Keep the lesson close to you, and you may be able to be there for someone else, be it for a season or for a lifetime.
Leave a Reply