{not so alone.}
We sit sipping our chai lattes, spiked with shots of espresso in an effort to make it through another day with young children. We have known one another since we were teenagers, and though we don’t see each other nearly as often anymore, she is still one of my closest friends.
This morning, I am studying the pattern made by the edge of the cardboard sleeve on my coffee cup, and contemplating the question my friend has just asked. It is one that might have made me feel a bit uncomfortable, had it been asked by anyone else. Yet she and I have always had this openness in our friendship, and I am completely at ease.
I am filled with gratitude that I have her in my life- someone who will ask me the more difficult questions. Her willingness to listen, and to speak up and challenge me a bit as needed, has so often made a significant impact in my life over the years. Our friendship is one that consistently causes me to think, and examine my heart and intentions. Through the conversations we’ve had, I’ve often been encouraged to see myself and my situation in a new light, and to grow as a person.
The analogy of iron sharpening iron comes to mind when I think of friendships like this. These relationships are so precious, because they impact our lives in such a deep way. Like a knife that dulls over time, I sometimes forget how much I need this kind of sharpening, until I am finally getting it. I am so fortunate to have a few such friends. These are the people who I can honestly say I am a better person for having known.
I am committing to pouring more into my friendships- picking up the phone, making the drive, typing an email late at night. We all need the sharpening and support that true friendship brings. I often allow the busyness of life to cause me to neglect this, but the truth is that life is simply too chaotic not to have it. I also want to be the friend who sharpens. I want to listen well, and ask the questions that need asking, in that gentle and loving way that only the best of friends can. I hope that I can return some of the encouragement and light that I have received from my closest friendships.
In this month of thankfulness, it is the relationships in my life that I am most thankful for.
Hannah Mayo
Hannah is a wedding and family lifestyle photographer, and lives in sunny South Florida with her husband and son. She loves film, coffee, and the ocean. Hannah likes to spend her free time reading, being with her family, and doing just about anything creative – including writing for her blog, Seeking Equipoise. She believes that there is beauty in all the world, and that it has power to change hearts and minds.
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