07 Apr The Woes of Friendship by Hannah Thompson

It is true, that in every stage of life there are new bonds, new acquaintances, new friendships. The common understanding of friendship is someone you are connected with and share life experiences with. But is this how it should be? The very definition of a friend includes a much deeper sentiment, that is often overlooked; affection. This term is not often used to describe friendship. Affection has a much stronger connotation than most are comfortable with, most likely because it is associated with more romantic expectations.

It is because of this that affection is more commonly thought to be within a romantic capacity, But, there are multiple factions of affection not recognized on a daily basis. The term has a lot of weight to most because it is deep, it is intense, but most importantly it is intentional. That is where friendship is lacking often times. Which is also why there are more toxic romantic relationships, because the only thing by comparison, which is friendship, has been denied the very foundation by which its original intent, its very definition beckons it to contain; affection!

Affection is raw, it understands, and it is forgiving.  But sometimes we find ourselves in toxic friendships without even realizing it. We are hungry for that missing link of affection, not even aware that the friendship is missing something so fundamental. This is where we all need an awakening and almost permission to dismiss certain people and relationships out of our life. It is ok to have friendship that only last a season of life, they are there for a reason and its healthy to recognize their significance during that particular time in your history. It is also okay to let them go. If someone no longer compliments, challenges, or makes sense of your life its alright to keep them at a distance and focus on your own self worth and significance. The beauty of humanity is we are constantly changing, evolving, moving forward towards a better future. Finding that you miss someone from a previous time in your life is normal, but recognizing that friendship for what it was and what it is now is very important. We are all beautifully and wonderfully made exactly how we should be. Every one deserves affection in both friendship and romantic relationships in order to achieve inner peace and satisfaction.

Hannah is an Exercise Physiologist, BS in Exercise and Kinesiology from GA State University. She loves living life and the random happenstances that go along with it. Hannah wants to live a life encouraging others and living a life that’s more than just about me. God, family, friends, a good bonfire and great conversations are some of the small things that make life great.

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