Nurturing heartfelt friendships serves as life’s safety net. In the hurly-burly of modern life, it’s a mistake not to stay in touch with friends. Friends are supportive on good and bad days, provide pleasure for joint activities and offer personal development opportunities.
Friendship needs to be built systematically like a house or career and it grows by opening oneself. Warmth, tolerance and dependability are the essential components. It shouldn’t be a matter of duty. Even spatial separation doesn’t affect a good friendship.
Big thing is, don’t ask, “What’s in it for me?” The difference between a friendship and an acquaintance is mutual empathy and engagement according to the principle: What affects you also affects me.
Article originally appeared in Capespan Courier Dec 07/Jan 08 – see www.capespan.com
Written and edited by Mariette Greyling, www.tomar.co.za
