Reflection #11

“Defining Friendship”

Eleven weeks ago we started with a mission. To go out and make friends with someone in need. Someone whose health is failing them; someone who is slow to trust. We found out quickly that it isn’t always easy. So, how do we know if we’ve made any real friendships at the nursing home? Perhaps the best way is to read some quotes about friendship, and decide for ourselves:

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”

“When you’re looking for a friend — don’t look for perfection, just look for friendship.”

“The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when they discover that someone else believes in them and is willing to trust them with their friendship.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Silences make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying but the never needing to say is what counts.”
– Margaret Lee Runbeck

“The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. I have no wealth to bestow on him. If he knows that I am happy in loving him, he will want no other reward. Is not friendship divine in this?”
– Henry David Thoreau

“Having someone who understands is a great blessing for ourselves. Being someone who understands is a great blessing to others.”