Millions around the world simply love the Song “That’s What Friends Are For” by Dionne Warwick… and how thankful I am to experience the lyrics coming alive for me, especially so in the recent months.
We make different friends along our life journey; our childhood friends; friends from college; friends from workplaces; friends of friends and those we make through different social network settings. As we evolve through the different stages of our lives, priorities change and we would lose contact with many along the way.
Family, friends and those around us are an important part of our mental well being, and they make our lives more meaningful. They are valuable resources that can sustain us through difficult times as well as bring us happiness in our daily lives.
So how do we build and maintain strong friendship in our life journey ?
Be Thoughtful…
Through the years, I have learnt valuable lessons which has helped me keep in check:
1. Generating thoughts of affection to those around you: just simply making time and be attentive with deep listening are basic respect that will attract others to engage.
2. Generating thoughts of gratitude to those who have been kind to you: just appreciating the moment of kindness will help develop an experience of gratitude that would help to inspire and deepen your innate kindness to others.
3. Generating thoughts of love and pity to those suffering: recognise that loving people is almost as difficult as forgiving others. This compassionate love will help build your determination to overcome difficulties.
My Best Friends
My best friends are my siblings and this close knitted friendship is not to be taken for granted. In fact, they can still be fragile and would need as much effort and commitment to nourish and maintain as we tend to get careless due to familiarity.
In our younger days, we had our fair share of fights and they used to cause me sleepless nights. I had since learnt to accept that it is normal to have problems and what is more important is to come out of it stronger then ever before.
Amongst us, some would step up as mediator in times of needs. To be an effective mediator, I have learnt a valuable lesson on never taking sides. We all have our unconscious bias on who was right or wrong, hence could be blindsided and ended up making matter worse. Practice your thoughtful approach with affection, gratitude and compassionate love.
I am so blessed to have my siblings in my life journey, walking with me, in good times and bad times. They keep me smiling and shining and I know that I can always count on them, for sure. That’s what friends are for …..
Lyn 🌻😊
Hello Lyn I love your inspirational quote: That’s What Friends Are For. I am glad u don’t walk alone. I believe a trusting relationship is important. It helps us in our life journey. It make things not too difficult to get along with others. I am convinced your love for your siblings and friends has grown stronger each passing year and become close friends. I can’t help not to feel happy for u. Your real blessings come from enjoying your siblings and close friends company, give all love and care for each other and doing interesting things together. Looking forward and don’t want to miss out on your next weekly article.
Thank you so much Eliza ! Indeed a blessings to have siblings as our best friends. I believe we are destined to be together, in good and bad times, and I will surely treasure them in this life time ❤️. You are such a sweet supporter of my blog post and I truly appreciate all your thoughtful comments in every single of my earlier posts. It means a lot to me and inspire me to keep writing more…
Hi lyn,
Very well written!!
Love, your secret admirer!!
Thank you Sheena, sending you lot of love too ❤️❤️❤️
Your are very fortunate to have so many siblings and are close to one another! Treasure it!
I absolutely treasure this special bond .. wishing you the same with your siblings too SKL ❤️
Hello Lyn,
Another fun cheerful photo and I hope to meet your siblings with colourful hearts soon.
I learnt to be humble, be kind, be compassionate, no fuss, don’t take side, all from my lovely mother. Today, I am still practising and keeping up to her teachings. Good luck to listening with compassion and trying hard to balance the love and friendship among your siblings, ensuring not to create crack among them. You and your siblings are lucky to form a strong friendship which arrives from unconditional LOVE. Fought hard to be friends forever.
Absolutely Spring, totally resonant with your comments .. we fought hard to be friends forever !
I am so blessed to have my siblings showering one another with unconditional love and patience ❤️ we can be truly ourselves when we are together 🙂 We are siblings in this life not by accident but its all plan. So must treasure this special bond.
Growing up with my other 4 siblings, I can totally understand what you mean, we fight and quarrel when we were younger. These days, we’ve learnt to give each other the space they need and come in to listen when required. Am blessed to have siblings. That’s what siblings are for! Keep smiling Lyn!
Yes siblings are a huge blessings and we will shower one another with unconditional love and patience ❤️ we can be truly ourselves when we are with our siblings, as no one person is exactly of the same mind .. keep smiling too Viv 🙂
Agree!! I am very very fortunate to have best siblings ever.. One brother thats so full of nonsense and the other that’s the direct opposite and clearly I am the connected tissue and a happy bridge for them :). Different to the core all 3 but amazing binding we share.
Yam, besides siblings, you are always the happy bridge amongst friends too, very blessed with a very special strength … and you have put them in good use ❤️