Friendship can mean two different things to us. One, for instance, is to just have a little in common with someone else. Then you have the friendships that are life proven and stable where you are actually dependent on them in your life. Most friends just see each other as casual meeting partners who might just enjoy a lunch together. Then you have the friend who becomes your best man at your wedding when you’ve met the right person, or when your dog passes and you can count on him to be there to make you smile and remember Beau for the good times you had. Most of all a friend doesn’t judge you for your sins. They forgive you in the darkest parts of your daily lives. They say I still love you when you are a complete ass and beyond reach of a moral compass.
I have a friend that I’ve known for 40 years. He is the most loyal friend that a friend could have. I was always asking him for money, and he would give it to me without question. I never gave back. I knew that I would have to hear the Jesus speech but hey, I was getting what I needed. Then 40 years later after I’ve learned to give back to him and his family, I apologized to him for being such a dick to him for so many years and told him I do really love him as family. I figured that I would just get a thank you and move on from there. He instead stated that he and his wife just had a conversation about that the other day. They could not even remember one time when I was rude or did them wrong. A friend forgives unconditionally and truly forgets your transgressions against him. I learned a valuable lesson this day. I learned how to love my friends better without judgement nor having a hidden agenda. I learned what a real friend is like and what it’s like to be one. So, when I look for friends, I look for forgiveness and true kindness. I look for a soul that accepts others for their faults and transgressions. A friend knows how to forget when you’re being a real dick to him or her and move into the relationship in a positive way.
Do you know how to be a giving friend with reasonable limits? What are your best qualities? In prison, friendships are vital because we need the human side of others. We cannot be monsters forever who are bitter and hateful to the world. We need to be forgiving and loving just the same. I am your friend.
Contact Info:
Christopher Mask
11560 County Rd. FF-75
Las Animas, CO 81054
