Friends was an American sitcom that revolved around people living in the city. The show has gained a large fanbase for its quirky characters and how they stuck together amidst conflict and various life stages.
Beyond television, friends are the important people in our lives we can count on when things get tough.
Friendships are things that people should value and treasure as these have a positive effect on our well-being. For this reason, friendships can be maintained and broken in many ways. How are friendships nurtured and brought back to life again? Are all friendships worth coming back to?
The Value of Friendship
Best friends stay with us and have our backs our entire lives. These are people we wouldn’t question and can even trust our lives with. The reality is, not everyone can be our best friends as people come and go. There may have been a point when two people were inseparable, but have grown distant over time.
Broken friendships arise because of conflict, misunderstanding, or a shift in priorities. A person may be busy tending to work or parenthood and have limited time with others. Friendships can also be broken because of conflict, misunderstanding, or a change in circumstances.
Nurturing Good Relationships
Friendship is a two-way street and takes effort for it to be treasured. Sometimes, you’ll be the one giving advice to a friend; on other days, you’ll be looking for it. Maintaining friendships means showing care to those we’re close to and strengthening bonds. It’s important to:
- Be Listening. Be excited to know what’s been going on in their life and pay attention to their stories. On top of the good times, be empathetic when a friend discusses her hard times with you. This shows how much the other person trusts you. Alternatively, open up about yourself and show that you too can trust them.
- Be Trust and Available. When you say you’re showing up, you’d better show up. When you’ve been told a secret, you better keep it. Nurturing friendships involve effort and trust from both parties. Be true to your word and honor your commitments with friends. Aside from being trustworthy, be available for them as much as possible. Over time, both of you will be more comfortable and experience life’s challenges together.
- Be Mindful. No friendships are perfect, and the occasional fight happens every now and then. By being mindful, you reshape your perceptions and learn to adapt to situations. Take conflict with a friend as a learning experience in gaining new perspectives and understanding another point of view.
A Friendly Reunion
The fast-paced lifestyle of today can make maintaining friendships more difficult than ever. Priorities such as career, parenting, and different beliefs mean that we won’t be able to keep all our friends; and that’s okay. According to Dr. Jeffrey Kerber, PhD., a lot of people don’t maintain the friendships they make in life.
It’s unrealistic and impossible to please everybody. Friendships also change when we undergo significant life events, such as getting married or having children. Friends can come and go, but what about the people we’ve lost contact with? You might want to consider thinking about reconnecting with one or more people in your life.
Before sending out greeting letters and stamps, you have to ask yourself what caused the distance in the first place. You may have been busy with work or raising a family of your own, which means you shouldn’t feel too bad about it.
If you think you’ve had a hand in the disconnection, reflect on what happened and be honest with your explanation. Should the need to apologize arise, do so. In reconnecting with an old friend, the most important things to keep in mind are managing your expectations and being transparent.
As much as possible, you’ll want to be clear in your delivery and leave little room for miscommunication and misunderstanding.
Reconnecting
The medium of reconnecting can be just as important as the message you’re trying to convey. Whatever form of communication works best as well as being sincere with what you’re saying. People can come up with many ways of reconnecting with others.
While some of these ideas may work for you, you might find a better way to keep in touch. Friendships are important, and they come and go; it’s up to you to see who is worth having around.
