In our house, we have a permanent whiteboard attached to our wall that contains the signatures of many people. Each person is a friend that has visited our home over the past eight years. Every evening I look at that wall and reflect on the great people who have given us their gift of time. While I reminisce of the great times we had with these people, I sadly also think about the friendship that has drifted away.
I often think about why people come and go from my life. There is a lesson to be learned about ourselves when others move on from our lives. Understanding what has changed in us from others gives us a better understanding of the change that is all around us.
A recent change of friendship
Over the past six months, I have gone through a lot of social changes. A significant change happened when the group of workout friends I belonged to disbanded when the owner of the gym moved on. We all chose different places to workout, and now the core of our friendship has changed. I can once again see that I am sadly drifting away from a group of friends I’d once felt would last a lifetime. While they may come back into my life, experience has taught me that I’m not so sure they will.
Why do friendships last?
Lasting friendships thrive when the meaning of it grows beyond the initial purpose. If that friendship doesn’t rise to include other purposes, then it’s likely to die when life changes -and life always changes.
The signatures scribbled on that wall give me an appreciation for those who’ve shared a piece of themselves in my life. For if they didn’t take the time to permanently mark their time in my life, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
While friendships come and go and their purposes suiting us only for a short time, their impact on us will last a lifetime.