National Friendship Day

So, apparently it's National Friendship Day, which I find quite humorous considering that I had already planned this blog post before I knew that.  Friendship, what a simple yet difficult concept.

Over the weekend, I got to visit with a new friend who is quickly becoming an indispensable friend.  Our friendship started because our husband's were best friends in college (and continue to be), but it has moved past that point.  My husband and I were talking about it on the way home from seeing them Saturday evening, and I got to thinking about what has made such in difference in that relationship as opposed to other friendships that I have tried to start.

Ultimately, I realized that Alex and I are just comfortable around each other and able to be ourselves.  We talked, didn't hide our feelings about the different subjects, and chased my girls; all while the guys went on about cars and whatever else they normally talk about.  So, my thoughts on things...

First, it is very nice to be able to sit down with a friend who just naturally jumps right in there with my girls.  The first thing Alex did was actually reach out for Cayleigh as we walked in so that she could hold her and get to know her (it took Cayleigh a few minutes to leave mommy, though, she was in a mood from having just woken up).  Later, the conversation flowed naturally from us talking (we talked about everything it seemed and nothing, because we didn't really get into any major "deep" conversations, but we just talked) to us playing with the girls or answering their questions.  I think a lot of times it's hard to be a mom with 2 toddlers and enjoy friendships because, for me at least, I can't just ignore the "mom" part, which is often hard for friends with no kids to understand.  With Alex, I was able to be both.  So, what's the take-away to this part?  A good friendship needs a basis of accepting and being comfortable with who each other is and joining together to blossom in that part of each other's lives.

Second, the night was so enjoyable because we didn't try to hide our true feelings or thoughts on what we talked about.  Our world is built on the superficial.  Very few people are the same to your face as they really are when they are not around.  Because of that, when you talk, it's hard to know how they really feel.  I think that's why so few people really end up with lasting relationships now-days, because friendships built on facades can only last for a short time.  The thought occurred to me that life is often like a masquerade; we put on this costume of who we are for the world to see.  The danger of that, though, is that the mask must come off at some point, and then what are we left with?

Best Friends from a photoshoot in February ...
these 2 are hilarious to watch!

Are you keeping a mask on or opening up to a friend?  On National Friendship Day, maybe it's time to sit down and think about which relationships are real and to put some time into strengthening those friendships.  If none of your friendships are real, what are the hurdles that you need to overcome?