Friendship

When I try to be a friend to someone, I hope that I am bringing them a little bit of happiness and lessening the pain in their life.  In my actions and my manner, I ask myself, "Am I bringing a bit of happiness or lessening pain?"  I think that a friendship can be longterm if I keep these thing in mind.  Some people see  "progression" in a relationship, that is, we move from friendship to sex.  Not just young people do this.  "We are friends.  We enjoy one another's company.  Let's go to bed and make love." For most people this progression is soon followed by the last step, which is a breakup with pain and unhappiness on one or both of the couple.  It is not that longterm friendship does not think about sex.  Thoughts and emotions about sex are just that.  You don't have to act on them.  This is what I like about true recovery of a spiritual practice.  It is not just the practice of meditation, yoga, walk in the woods, etc. It is about how you then live out your life with another person.  Intimacy does not mean you have to take your clothes off.  Intimacy is a slow gradual process.  It takes patience, trust and hope.  You will learn to listen.  You will learn to speak from the heart.  It is in our DNA.