I spoke to an old friend today—one of my closest, oldest, and dearest friends. It's strange how the older you get, the less you speak to some friends. However, if you've achieved a certain level of friendship through experience or time, or whatever the case may be, your connection grows stronger.

We had a quick catch-up about what's been happening in each other's lives—family, work, hobbies, etc. Then we delved a bit deeper into how we're feeling—our emotional drivers, things to get off our chests. Sometimes, it's easy to think that you're the only one having a hard time, battling demons, overcoming hurdles, or just figuring out life. But everyone is fighting something in their own mind and it's almost naive to consider anything different.

He elaborated on what's been going on and where his mind was at, explaining situations that are difficult but important to talk about. I felt a strange sense of pride in the fact that he confided in me. We've been friends for a long time, and I confide in him as well. We hadn't spoken in 4-5 months, but the conversation flowed. We discussed ideas, and I recommended some tools I use to manage similar emotions and issues in my own head. We spoke for about 30 minutes, and by the end of the conversation, we found some success and strategies to help each grow.

Friendship is a beautiful thing—sharing experiences, discussing ideas, creating wonderful memories. These elements all contribute to the construction of a great friendship. The fundamental aspect of a good friendship, though, is listening and being there for each other—trying your best to help and serving as an alternative pillar to lean on. As I concluded the conversation with my old friend and he felt some sort of relief or understanding about his own feelings through parallel experiences of my own, I felt a great sense of happiness.

“Friends are companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere on the road to a happier life.” – Seneca

Thanks,

Dean