Today's Thought! - Friendship

Old 02-04-2005, 12:32 AM
  # 1 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Time2Surrender's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: The Field of Dreams
Posts: 7,249
Today's Thought! - Friendship

Today's thought is:

Friendships divide our burdens and double our joys.

Having women and men we trust enough to share our deepest secrets with is one of the many gifts of the program. While it's true that most of us already had friends, we seldom told them everything about ourselves. We held back the most intimate details to protect ourselves. We thought if they really knew us, they'd never want to be our friends.

Our understanding of friendship has changed since being introduced to the Twelve Steps. How we act as friends has changed too. Now we know that friends don't judge, they don't try to control, they accept how other people are, and they never betray a confidence. They listen, they love, and they offer hope. And they don't run away when they don't like what they hear. What we have learned influences our old friendships too, and everybody benefits.

To express my friendship fully to someone today means sharing honestly what I'm experiencing and listening intently while my friend shares too.


You are reading from the book:



A Life of My Own by Karen Casey
Time2Surrender is offline  
Old 02-04-2005, 05:09 AM
  # 2 (permalink)  
Learning to love me.
 
Roxann's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: on my way
Posts: 617
Originally Posted by Time2Surrender
Now we know that friends don't judge, they don't try to control, they accept how other people are, and they never betray a confidence. They listen, they love, and they offer hope. And they don't run away when they don't like what they hear. What we have learned influences our old friendships too, and everybody benefits.

I have found this to be so true in regards to my own situation. A few people I had considered "friends", really aren't. They are extremely judgemental and controling, and that isn't the type of relationship that I need in my own recovery.
Roxann is offline  
Old 02-04-2005, 05:47 AM
  # 3 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,955
Originally Posted by Time2Surrender
And they don't run away when they don't like what they hear.
In my experience, this has been the true test of who is my friend and who is not.
Great quote Time2Surrender, I have GOT to read that book.
Gabe is offline  
Old 02-04-2005, 09:46 AM
  # 4 (permalink)  
Ann
Nature Girl
 
Ann's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: By The Lake
Posts: 60,328
Having women and men we trust enough to share our deepest secrets with is one of the many gifts of the program. While it's true that most of us already had friends, we seldom told them everything about ourselves. We held back the most intimate details to protect ourselves
I still struggle between sharing with others and protecting myself. Learning to take risk is required to be able to move ahead, regardless of how painful the lesson may be.

Thank you, Time2Surrender

Hugs
Ann
Ann is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:45 PM.