Friendship and Mental Health
What would life be like without friends? Friendship has been a part of our existence as human beings for as far as we can remember. For most of us, friendships began forming once we started Kindergarten. As tiny little people, we began the world of surfing relationships, sifting and sorting who we click with and who we don’t.
There were…… joys of feeling included…… and the devastation of feeling left out. The power between the bonds of trust and comfort ……AND the horror of betrayal and seclusion. All of these experiences visit us at different times in our life and throughout different stages……each connection teaches us invaluable lessons.
These relationships with other human beings define and shape us into who we are and holds the happiness as well as the heartbreak in our memories. We learn how to listen as well as what not to listen to. We learn how to comfort as well as how to walk away. We learn how to trust as well as listen to our intuition when things don’t feel authentic. Through all of these different connections…. we learn what our values are and who we need around us in order to support our values.
When you connect in an amazing way….. it can become one of the greatest bonds in life with someone outside your family. A soul connection can become your “ride or die”…..your “BFF”…….your “Soul Sister or Brother”!
There are countless categories of friends that all serve a beautiful purpose in our lives and fulfill specific needs.
There is………
The funny friend that entertains the crowd
The eternal therapist and amazing listener
The spontaneous friend that is up for anything at any time
The childhood friend who has seen you through every stage…. good and bad
The college friend who you love and only see a few times a year but holds the most amazing bond in your heart
The “new parent” stage friend that ends up raising children right along side of you until the end of time
The coworker friend who shares your passions in your career
The list goes on and on….and if you are SO LUCKY….some of those friends check many of the boxes above and overlap in different aspects of your life.
Here is where the mental health component comes in…….
Friends are the angles that are given to us in life that become our lifeline to peace and happiness. There is pure joy and comfort when you are with someone who you can laugh with until you cry but also who will hold your hand through the darkest of times.
The POWER of friendship is SUPPORT………life long, unconditional support! Those types of friendships deserve all the love, time and energy your heart can hold.
The greatest lesson I’ve learned in these 49 years on this earth is…….hold on to the friends who feel like sunshine. The ones who lift you up…..the ones who make you feel safe and the ones that inspire you to be the best you can be. Those are the people who will keep your mind calm and your heart at peace for the rest of your life..
If you are lucky enough to have this connection…...cherish it❤️
XOXO🦋