I am someone who believes friends are family, chosen family instead of blood family, but family. The older I grow, the more I value the people I consider friends and what their impact is in my life. There was a time when I was growing up in Colombia during which I was always on my own, hiding in the library at school or finding protection from my classmates by hanging out with teachers during the breaks. I was well aware that anyone who befriended me would be rejected and possibly bullied as well, situation I was already in, and while I longed for friends, I didn't want anybody else to experience what I was going through.
I did make some friends in school, D., MC ( my oldest friend, we have been friends for over 25 years!), MJ, T, and there were a few guys who were ok being in the same team with me (CS, G), but all in all it was a lonely time, and made me more introverted than I already was. I continuously felt I was walking on eggs and any wrong word could make me even more lonely, so that I restrained myself from being myself to keep my few friends.
During my last years in school I was lucky and met a group of kids from different schools who saw me for who I was and were not related to my school and the labels I had there. I found myself as part of a group of friends: I was invited to hang out with them and they would meet me if I invited for something, we would grab lunch on Saturdays and sometimes go to the movies, or just sit in the park and chat for hours. I was 16 years old.
I did make some friends in school, D., MC ( my oldest friend, we have been friends for over 25 years!), MJ, T, and there were a few guys who were ok being in the same team with me (CS, G), but all in all it was a lonely time, and made me more introverted than I already was. I continuously felt I was walking on eggs and any wrong word could make me even more lonely, so that I restrained myself from being myself to keep my few friends.
During my last years in school I was lucky and met a group of kids from different schools who saw me for who I was and were not related to my school and the labels I had there. I found myself as part of a group of friends: I was invited to hang out with them and they would meet me if I invited for something, we would grab lunch on Saturdays and sometimes go to the movies, or just sit in the park and chat for hours. I was 16 years old.
That experience was half of my life ago, and I still carry it with me. Since then I have had times that resemble the initial years, and times that are closer to my last years in school and, despite my age I still struggle with the later.
I have made friends over the years, many of them traveling and at work, and most recently in my beloved Beantown (aka home) volunteering. Each of them is special, each of them has touched my life in at least one way, but they all have been part of my life and thus the friendships we have or had are still in me.
Friendship is a blessing, friends are treasures, and it's easier to live life and love life with friends.
