Communication 101

I seem to be in a season of constantly thinking about friendship and what it means to be a good friend. This was definitely the focus of my brief time in counseling while I was struggling through depression over the past 9 months and my intense analyzing of friendship has continued even after counseling has ended.

I mentioned some of these similar thoughts in this post, but I wanted to delve a bit deeper and ask you all a question: Whose responsibility is it to keep a friendship alive? I wouldn't say that I'm a "great" friend because I know that I come with a lot of "friendship baggage" but I will say that I'm constantly thinking about how to be a better friend. This is particularly true now that I'm on an upswing coming out of depression. During that time, I didn't want to see or talk to anyone. I couldn't be bothered to care about most of my friends because I barely cared about myself. And I believe that some of my friendships were severely damaged in this time...but is that my fault ... or theirs?

Friendship is a two-way street and I know that I played a part in the broken friendships that I'm experiencing now...but wouldn't it be fair to also say those friends didn't reach out to me when I was chin-deep in depression?

Honestly, I'm not here to play the blame game but rather look deeper into what makes a friendship work. The main sustaining factor is communication. We must reach out to one another and show that we are thinking about/missing the people in our lives. Communication is what sustains any relationship and helps us to understand the people we care about more than just what we see on social media. It allows friendships to flourish into something meaningful, fun, and life-giving.

That is my new goal for the friendships that I wish to revive/maintain...communication.

 It may seem small to some of you reading this, but I've been trying to text and even call more often (I know right..who calls anymore?) so that I show my friends that I care. Some might not reach back, and that's okay. That's their decision and I can't hold that against them. What I can do is reach out and let them know I'm here, trying.

What are some small ways you want to reach out to the people in your life? What goal can you make for yourself this week to communicate better with your family/friends? I'd love to read your thoughts in comments below!

Thanks for reading and I'll see you soon <3