The Cost Of Friendship

I’ve known Mark since 2003. We have literally travelled the world together. Asia, Eastern Europe, Central America. We bond over food and good conversation.

Over the course of our friendship Mark has spoken really hard and challenging things into my life. Things that I didn’t want to, but needed to hear. We also laugh a lot and have a good time. Geek out on similar hobbies. Oh and we like to eat good food together. 

We stopped at Jack in the box to go the bathroom on our way home. When we exited I looked left and saw this scene and knew I needed to take a pic.

The evening light was beautiful tonight. Driving home in traffic on H1 the sky almost looked purple and the mountains were so clear.

I shot a Facebook live today. The audio was bad but I talked about how friendships take effort. Relationships take initiation and reciprocation.  And there are seasons and natural ebbs and flows where the responsibility may be more on you to initiate.

But don’t give up on your friendships. I’m grateful for so many people that never gave up on me.

Who do you need to initiate with today? Or who do you need to reciprocate with today? Or who do you need to call out for never initiating or reciprocating?

Who in your life is always carrying the relationship? Initiate today instead of waiting or withdrawing.

Jeanette has been planning and saving for this trip for a while, she flew with Jess back from Atlanta so that she could help Jess fly with our son. Mark sold something of great value to him so he could be out here and spend time with us.

You need friends like this in your life. If you don’t have friends like this pray for friends like this. Be a friend like this. Or take some time to dig deep, be vulnerable and self aware, maybe there is a reason you don’t have friends like this. Good friends are hard to come by. Real relationships take work and nurture.

Comment and tag a good friend and let them know how much you appreciate them and why.