SHARE WHAT MAKES A GOOD FRIEND

SHARE YOUR IDEAS OF WHAT MAKES GOOD FRIENDS

As one who who had had problems making and keeping good friends, this is a hard topic. The good friends from my youth and I have grow far apart. The most recent close friends were those in CPE and in the Chaplaincy. However, my biggest issue is that it is easier for me to write a diary entry than to maintain contact with real people. My old friends just think that they still know me but I have changed and they have remained the same. So I guess the biggest suggestion I have is to maintain close contacts with friends no matter how far apart you are physically.  Call them often; write to them; be honest with them about who you are, your life experiences, your changing beliefs, the questions you are dealing with... none of which I have done. I was afraid of rejection so I was not honest so I lost my friends anyhow.

While I would like to think of myself as liberal and accepting of everyone, it is very hard or even impossible to have close friends who have beliefs, attitude toward life, and political inclinations that are drastically different than yours. This was and is my experience with Connie, my children, and most of my childhood friends. It has also made it hard to make close friends here in Columbia.  The vast majority of people in this area are extreme right wing Republicans.  I am close to been an extreme left wing Democrat.  My FaceBook page is full of post that I strongly disagree with. I have to bite my tongue most of the time... especially with you, my children. Arguing with you is just too destructive to our relationship. As pour as it is, something is better than nothing. I have already experienced nothing when I divorced your mother.