Comments on: Friends, Old and New http://delicatemelody.com/friends-old-and-new/ Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. Sat, 16 May 2009 23:27:42 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Margaret http://delicatemelody.com/friends-old-and-new/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Margaret Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:01:34 +0000 http://delicatemelody.com/?p=78#comment-22 “make new friends, keep the GOOD old ones, and TRASH the ones that are negative influences.” Great insight in this. For me, when thinking about friends, old and new, there is really only one question... Are they supportive of my journey in becoming the person I want to become or do they hinder me every along the way? The answer to this isn't always a simple one, never black and white, for sure. But if I take the time to step back and look at a friend's words, actions, behavior...and take an honest assessment of their support for who I am, who I'm trying to become...or the lack thereof...I get a clearer picture of the authenticity of their friendship. True friends for me, aren't just about a history, or knowing all the good and bad that make me who I am today ... but rather, those who truly understand my authentic self and respect me, my boundaries, and support me along the way of growing into what God has created me to be. I have friends, even today, who I would love nothing more than to get together with and move beyond the "history" that is there (the bad baggage part) and sometimes I think, "I can do this and be myself (my true self)." But then, I connect with them and the old tapes play, hints of old behavior creeps in, and when I'm done talking with them I feel all ishy . . . like, "who the heck was THAT person talking to them?" It's at times like this that I can step back and say...I've come too far and I know who I want to be today...and I respect and love myself enough to choose friends who will build me up and help me grow and I them in return, rather than settling for being around people who, whether intentionally or not, bring me down or make me feel worse for having connected with them. “make new friends, keep the GOOD old ones, and TRASH the ones that are negative influences.” Great insight in this. For me, when thinking about friends, old and new, there is really only one question… Are they supportive of my journey in becoming the person I want to become or do they hinder me every along the way?

The answer to this isn’t always a simple one, never black and white, for sure. But if I take the time to step back and look at a friend’s words, actions, behavior…and take an honest assessment of their support for who I am, who I’m trying to become…or the lack thereof…I get a clearer picture of the authenticity of their friendship.

True friends for me, aren’t just about a history, or knowing all the good and bad that make me who I am today … but rather, those who truly understand my authentic self and respect me, my boundaries, and support me along the way of growing into what God has created me to be.

I have friends, even today, who I would love nothing more than to get together with and move beyond the “history” that is there (the bad baggage part) and sometimes I think, “I can do this and be myself (my true self).” But then, I connect with them and the old tapes play, hints of old behavior creeps in, and when I’m done talking with them I feel all ishy . . . like, “who the heck was THAT person talking to them?”

It’s at times like this that I can step back and say…I’ve come too far and I know who I want to be today…and I respect and love myself enough to choose friends who will build me up and help me grow and I them in return, rather than settling for being around people who, whether intentionally or not, bring me down or make me feel worse for having connected with them.

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