April 23, 2013

This. This Is What Friendship Is.

Last night I dreamed about my best friend from school. We were in a holiday house, sitting on the bed. My friend told me an enormous secret, and I accepted it without question. And then I realised some doors were open in the house and I went around closing them, to make us both safe.

And then I woke up.

In the scheme of dreams, it was pretty tame. I mean, I have dreams about sex and death and cars flying off cliffs and houses floating in the sky. A dream about a secret and some doors is pretty mild by comparison.


But having been awake for an hour now, I'm starting to see more in the dream than met the unconscious eye. 

Because to me, that dream encapsulated friendship. It represented everything my close friends give to me, in one scene.

I have a fairly sizable circle of friends, and a massive circle of acquaintances. I have friends with whom I'm laughed, with whom I've cried, with whom I've had conversations which lasted for hours, and with whom I have stayed up late exchanging texts and message which have had me weeping with hilarity.

I have friends who have brought me food in a crisis, driven me here, and accompanied me there, and exchanged advice on everything from child rearing to anxiety to which bras will provide the greatest uplift and support.

But there is one quality that elevates true friends above everyone else, that goes beyond the chatter and the fun.

Unconditional acceptance.

It's when your friends know all your shit and they love you anyway. It's when you can tell them absolutely anything and they won't judge you or stop loving you, they'll just hold out their arms to catch you if you fall. It's when you know they may not agree with everything you say or do, but they will always be there, no matter what.

It's when their unquestioning acceptance helps you to go around your metaphorical house, shutting the doors and keeping yourself safe. 

To everyone who has this type of friend in their life, I hope you appreciate how blessed you are.

And to my beautiful friends, who know who they are, thank you.

31 comments:

  1. So beautiful, Kerri. Some of my closest friends live on the other side of the world, we go for months without speaking, but when we do it's as if we've never been apart.

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  2. Gorgeous.
    Hope you got some sleep xxxx

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  3. I am blessed to have such in my life too.

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  4. This kind of made me misty. Beautiful, precious, evokes a deep bittersweetness in me and so true. And also why I freaking love my dog ;) Excellent back up.

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  5. Gorgeous Kerri! Makes me feel blessed to have my wonderful friends in my life too x

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  6. So very true Kerry ... I too have many friends from various areas of my life and I have enjoyed many wonderful times with them. But, I am fortunate enough to have the closest of friends, who though we are very different, love me and accept me for who I am with all my quirks and flaws. I know that if needed, they are but a phone call away. How lucky are we??

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  7. I only have a few friends like this, but I prefer a few true friends than a thousand 'fair weather' pretendy ones. Beautiful post.

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  8. Yep. I am lucky to have a very large and very close group of friends - and I often marvel at how lucky I am to have all these people who love me just the way I am. Unconditional.

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  9. I have tears reading this! It is so true. Unconditional acceptance is from a true friend! Hold those ones close :)

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  10. I have recently found my friend again in the form of my sister in law. We used to be friends in highschool. I married her brother and our friendship got lost. Now I know she is a friend of mine since the recent happenings in my life.

    There is also my besty from my childhood. we don't speak to each other for months on end but it doesn't bother us and we can still chat like old mates

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  11. xxxxxx True friends open as many doors as they close.

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  12. Yes they do. And books. They open books. If you know what I mean.... xxxxxxxx

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  13. I love friendships like that - where you just pick up where you left off x

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  14. Absolutely. All you need is one or two true friends. The rest are just icing x

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  15. VERY lucky. Thanks for your comment x

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  16. That's so true. I see the way my friends love their dogs... I *may* be missing out on something x

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  17. Nice take on friendship, Kerri. It's when you can go for a while without seeing them, and you just slip back into it, when you do meet again.

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  18. I'm sharing this post with my best friend. She is everything you have said here and more. I have been lucky enough to have her by my side for neatly 40 years now and besides.my marriage and kids, that friendship is my most cherished possession.
    Thanks for the reminder Kerri.
    Love,
    Gabs x

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Thanks! Love hearing from you.

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