Day 202 - variety in friendships

I think the line between friend and acquaintance falls somewhere between trust and respect. There are a lot of people who are our friends who do things that we may not value, have a very different opinion towards and completely oppose our lifestyles. But although there are vast differences in who each person is, there si still a mutual respect for that person's decisions and life choices. I think that respecting these differences and gaining insight and knowledge from them is a foundation for a great friendship. Some of the best friendships I have are with people who are the complete opposite of me. And what I value most from these friendships is that we do not judge or assume the other person to take on our own lives, but value the life that they have chosen. When you surround yourself with people who are only similar to yourself you really are limiting the types of interactions you can have with people. Life is just as much about the type of people you interact with as it about experience. I think being able to form intimiate relationships with a variety of people helps build good character. And I'm thankful for the friends in my life who have taught me that, and accept my lifestyle even though it couldn't be further from what they'd want for their own lives.