Maintaining Friendships
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
Rejection….
…..conformity
……bullying
…..and cliques
….are all problems that can arise as we interact and form relationships. When you consider these problems, it helps us to be more appreciative of the people we can call our friends.
Despite all of these barriers to developing true friendships, you can still learn to choose friends that are positive, moral and supportive. Once you have found true friends, the next important step is to maintain your friendships. Of course, maintaining friendships cannot be one-sided. Everyone involved must value the friendship and work at remaining friends.
Maintaining friendship begins with mutual respect and commitment. There are many ways that respect can be shown. For example, asking permission before using or even touching your friend’s belongings and accepting his answer, even if it is, no, is an important aspect of maintaining friendships. Remember that saying ‘no’ is also your right. It’s something that we all desire for ourselves as well as others. You can also be polite. Simple acts of courtesy, such as saying please and thank you to your friends, as well as not interrupting them when they speak, are all ways you can demonstrate respect.
Another important aspect of maintaining friendships is to show appreciation for your friends. Do not assume that they will know you care about them if you never show it. There are many ways to show that you care. This can be as simple as actively listening to a problem and offering positive ways to deal with it. Appreciation can also mean taking the time to give a compliment. A few kind words can go a long way in maintaining a friendship, as long as there are no selfish desires behind those caring words.
Source: The Peaceful Solution Character Education Program