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The Art of Friendships and Family relationships










I have always believed that you get out of a relationship what you put into it.

Relationships do take effort, especially as you get older and your own family becomes a priority. The enjoyment and comfort that friendships and relationships can provide, make the investment worthwhile. 

The subject of friendships and family relationships has really been on my mind since I started planning a wedding, and also since I gave birth to my third child and tried to maintain a social life.

Who are the friends and family members who truly value me?

Who would be there for me if I needed them?

Who actually cares about my life and will support me through my struggles?

These are all questions I ask myself when I think abut who is a true friend. 

Wedding guest lists are not easy let me tell you! This is the time for me to put relationships into perspective!

We all strive to form friendships, and in a perfect world, family would all get along with each other. We all like to feel understood and loved, it's just human nature. To even have just one friend who you can call at any hour without fear of disturbing them in moments of need fear, sadness, or even celebration, is a blessing. Friendships take many shapes and when young you believe friendship is one just between peers. Later in life you realise that the security of friendship is also found in family members.

I have felt so blessed on my maternity leave to have so many people in my life who I have been able to turn to. Being on maternity leave has meant that I have been able to do the school run for Finley and Piper, and so I have had the opportunity to meet other mums and make new friends that way too.

My diary has been full meeting friends and family members, and although a full diary can be overwhelming at times with a new born in tow, everybody has certainly helped me get through the days where I have struggled to juggle life.  I know that I'm not perfect, and I might not message much, or I take a while to get back to people, but to the people in my life, I am still here for you, and I do still care. 

Like relationships, friendships take work, and it can be hard work at times! Over the years old friendships have crumbled and new friendships have been formed. Similarly to family relationships. As an adult it can be difficult to maintain friendships as they can take a backseat to work, children, and other commitments. Friends may grow apart due to changes in lives and interests. Life is a book and relationships are constantly evolving and changing from one chapter to the next.  Some chapters are sad to leave behind, but one things for sure, and that is that life is always moving forward.

I have always felt that there is nothing more important than family and so given that life is so short, should certain relationships be healed? Sometimes we can reawaken a relationship through sharing positive, deep feelings, without falling into the need to look back. Sometimes you can decide to "start now" and move forward from the past to create new memories for a connection, something which Josh and I have recently experienced.

The great thing about friendships as we get older is that they can be sustained with only remote contact. It's amazing how so much time can go by and yet it is so easy to slot back into each others lives. 

I am at an age where the quality of my friends counts more than quantity. The meaningful relationships have certainly supported me through thick and thin, and I hope my family and friends know how much they mean to me. 

I read a quote that said there are 3 different types of friends in life, 'friends for a season, friends for a reason, and friends for a lifetime'. No matter what category you fall into, I am grateful for each and every one of you. 



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