Why Bother Considering Who We Call Our Friends?

Friends and acquaintances have come and gone in my life, but all of them have affected my life to some degree or another. Not everyone had an equal impact, especially those with whom I chose to part company with after only a short amount of time. But, because people have the power to affect our lives, either positively or negatively, considering whom we call our friends and choose to spend our time with, matters. 

Relationships Shape Us

I remember my friends from high school and how my mother despised them. She warned me against spending time with them, but of course, I did not listen to her. Instead I had to learn from the school of hard knocks and natural consequences. My “friends” did not reflect the values that were instilled in me by the adults in my life; honesty, hard work and clean living. Consequently, after only a few years, these sidekicks I once thought of as friends, fell by the wayside as I pursued a straighter way for my life. 

After marriage, it was natural for my husband and I to spend time with other married couples. We gravitated toward those who were most like us, but at the same time, a little older and a little wiser. Because we’d established a trust factor in our relationships with these other couples, they were able to broaden our thinking and encouraged our faith.  

Finally, there are my own girlfriends. Most of these women have known me for quite some time and have supported me through the various seasons of my life. These women have counseled me through the trials of raising children, given advice when I ventured back into the work world, and most recently, cheered me on through the process of publishing my first book. They are my tried and true comrades, the ones who have stuck it out with me through thick and thin.

With them I am a better person. Like me, they know the importance of staying true to the guiding values of honesty and truthfulness. I can’t hide anything from them, but neither do I want to. Our conversations go to issues that matter the most and cause us to consider our actions, attitudes and words. We influence each other for the better, not for the worse.  

Why bother considering who we call our friends? Whomever we spend the most time with possesses the most power to impact us the most.