The notion that I have been wrestling with is friendship. More specifically, what a friend is not. To me a friend is someone that you spend time with and do things with. A person whose companionship and company you enjoy. It is not someone you only see once in a while at work or out on the street and say a few passing words to. That, in my vernacular, epitomizes an acquaintance. The difference between a friend and acquaintance is how close to your life and your heart someone is allowed to approach. A friend registers significantly higher on the intimacy scale than a mere acquaintance. Friends are there with you not only when you celebrate, but also when you cry.
A few things, from my perspective, of what characterizes someone who is not a friend.
- Someone who often says to you, "hey, we should get together", yet you never do.
- Someone who only wants a relationship to get something from you.
- Someone whose only presence in your life involves the occasional quickie, lite comments on your blog or Facebook page.
- Someone who consistently lets you know by their words and actions that you are not a priority.
- Someone who avoids you when you are hurting or down.
