That is exactly what attendees had to do at AWC August meeting. They were given a list of 30 characteristics to choose from, and it was not easy to do. “Some are somewhat similar so it makes it difficult,” someone complained.
Here’s an example: would you choose “sense of humor” and/or “fun to be with?” Both are good characteristics to have but they are really not the same—got it? Well, we had an interesting and fun time doing this activity.
Not one of us in at the meeting was a native of Minnesota therefore we all had had experiences loosing close friendships as a result of our move. We also talked about keeping long term friendships alive, even those ones in distant lands. Some of us even had surprising reconnections with friends we thought were lost forever. We discussed the different layers of friendships, all of which we appreciate and cherish —some close, some not-so-close. Many of us had developed new and unexpected friendships that we never imagined possible.
A 2006 research study from Duke University and the University of Arizona showed that Americans have almost one-third fewer confidants than they did in the 1980s, and that “ties are more family-based.” Another statistic showed that there are now twice as many people who report not having close friends to share their problems with.
Fortunately, today we have a variety to convenient ways to keep our friendship bonds intact. We can phone, text, email, and use social networking tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and the like, to stay connected. However, don’t forget that nothing beats face-to-face connections so meet in-person as often as possible.
Building and maintaining friendships can be fulfilling but can also get complicated. Having a healthy number and layers of friendships is definitely a great way to go.
Action Item:
Make your list of 10 characteristics you would like in a friend but remember to also check yourself and make sure that you too are striving to be all of those things to your friends.
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