"The most fundamental kind of love, which underlies all types of love, is brotherly love. By this I mean the sense of responsibility, care, respect, knowledge of any other human being, the wish to further his life..."
"...This is the kind of love the Bible speaks of when it says: love thy neighbor as thyself. Brotherly love is love for all human beings; it is characterized by its very lack of exclusiveness..."
"...If I have developed the capacity for love, then I cannot help loving my brothers (or sisters). In brotherly love there is the experience of union of all men, of human solidarity..."
"...Brotherly love is based on the experience that we are all one. The differences in talents, intelligence, knowledge are negligible in comparison with the identity of the human core common to all men..."
"...In order to experience this identity it is necessary to penetrate from the periphery to the core. If I perceive in another person mainly the surface, I perceive mainly the differences, that which separates us. If I penetrate to the core, I perceive our identity, the fact of our brotherhood..."
-Eric Fromm, author of The Art of Loving (Harper & Row 1956)
"It is this quality of brotherly love which can enable you to communicate fully with the people in your world. Without this ability, you would be separate and fearful and you would be forced either to withdraw from life or to distort its true value...."
"...Your self-image can thrive on identification with other people and compassion for their needs, since this helps you to better accept your own problems and appreciate your own virtues. We are our brother's keepers. God meant it so...."
"...Too often we forget this, being embroiled in the dog-eat-dog competitiveness of modern civilization. But actually, when we love other, we are closer to ourselves and to a healthy self-image."
-Maxwell Maltz , author of Psycho-Cydnernetics (1964)
Have you ever watched the Christmas movie It's A Wonderful Life? It's first and foremost an absolute classic. And I don't care how old it is, the message and feel of that movie truly captures the true essence of being a human being. We are all born into a family. We have parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, grandparents, etc. But there are in some instances we create our own families in different ways.
The final message in the movie It's A Wonderful Life from the angel says "REMEMBER, NO MAN IS A FAILURE WHO HAS FRIENDS." And ain't it the truth. I know I myself am guilty of getting so wrapped up in the stresses of life, and sometimes unhappy things occur in life and people will upset me, events will upset me, but if I just remember to step outside of myself, I realize I still AM! I am BEING. No matter how horrible anything is, I can still enjoy life! I can still smile about something! I can still laugh about something! I can do something that makes me happy! I CAN!
Does it make the bad things go away? No. But I can still be happy and laugh in this life we are given as a gift and that so many take for granted. I am truly blessed to have some heavy hitter friends in my arsenal. Some I have had for what feels like the beginning of time. Some I have shared some of my greatest moments with. Some I have shared some of my worst moments with. Some I have transitioned with. Some are very new with my adventures.
I have been educated quite a bit on the essence of friendship and the love we have for our friends. I sometimes love my friends more than they may love me. I care very much about them. Their presence is the greatest treasure for me. To spend time with them, to share great moments with them, to endure tragic moments with them, all of these things have grown my friendships and strengthened them.
I love the TV show Friends and these group of friends sometimes share so much more of their lives with each other then they do with their own families sometimes! I can relate because the adventures and events I have shared with my friends are just so momentous that you can't help but put great value on them. But each of my closest of closest friends contribute so much to the person I am today, as I hope I contribute to them.
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| Maria and I have been friends since the first grade and we still make it a point to be in each other's lives! |
They are very loyal, and will do me no wrong. Do you know how hard it is to really understand and strain out the people who can live to such a stature? I have learned there are "fun friends" whom you may always have in your life but their purpose is to have such wonderful fun with, good laughs, and enjoy time with. But thats it. They won't be there if you need them, God forbid it was urgent. You can't confide in them. And sometimes your values are very off alignment. This does not make them bad people by any means! But they aren't your truest of friends. But they definitely are fun friends whom you love for who they are and the times you spend. Even if its only a couple times a year.
But true friends. Phew. Wow. Not only do you enjoy their company and have great laughs, but your values are the same. Whats important to you is important to them and vice versa. They give you phenomenal support in whatever they do and you would support them unconditionally in whatever they do. Especially when you don't understand what it is they do. They're the ones who accept you entirely for who you are and accept you WITH all your flaws and shortcomings, and they are just as acceptable and lovable with theirs to you! True friends you can be brutally honest with, and they can be with you. Their perspective on life can be like yours, your rights and wrongs, the ones who cannot seem to figure life out without them.
I am blessed for my friends. I love them so much. My history with each is magical. Their importance in life they will never truly comprehend. It is my union with them that I better understand myself and the world I live in. It is the union I have with them that WE collectively make this world a better place. I thank them all so much for their continuous love, support, understanding, and love. And I hope for them I do the same. It's nice to know I will always have these people in my life. And it's a comfort to know they care. (BOWS)
MASTER TRENTO
One of your best blogs ever!!
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