Do You Know the Many Different Types of Friendships?

Through my many years of life, experience and learning I have found there are different types and levels of friendships and relationships. I want to discuss this in my article and see if anyone agrees.

I have been around for many years and have learnt so much about myself and life. I believe and been told that my opinions do count and is usually are good ones. There are so many different levels and types of friendships that develop over time. Firstly I think of family and that is a good starting point. You may find that though you may be initially "the parent" gradually as your children get older, if you are fortunate like me, that when they grow up or become parents that your relationship changes and they become your closest friends.

I have 5 adult children and have found that even though I am the mum we have developed great friendships and can talk about anything as we are quite an open family. I have two daughters and they are my best friends now. We talk about anything and everything especially parenting skills as what I hear from them now is "I never got it when you used to say, wait till you are a mum, but now I do?" I find this amusing because I was the same when I had children. I was living with my grandmother when I was in my teens and now find myself making a comment then thinking I am turning into her and yes I am a grandmother so I guess that is ok for me.

I also have three sons and although not always as close to them I do feel we have a tight bond as we really don't have an extended family so we stay closely connected. I have spent lots of time in the kitchen with my youngest over the years cooking and just chatting. We would turn the Hunter ceiling fan on, in the dining room part of the kitchen, by the remote control and then we spent hours making donuts or he was learning how to make some of my recipes that he loves. Now he cooks for me sometimes which is great.

I have three of what I would call my best friends in the whole world. There is no competition for my time or affection as with them because I have three completely different types of commitment to them. One friend lives very close to me and so I visit in the evenings quite a bit, another I see once a week and the third I may not see or speak to every week but we are very close. Their grown up children still call me Aunty and are very respectful to me. I will also mention that each friend at least ten years younger tha
I am but these three have been in my life over twenty five years. We can also discuss anything and believe me we do! All of us know nothing said will be repeated at all to anyone else which is something I personally value.

Then there are the friends that are there if I need them and we speak occasionally but always put themselves out to help and be there for me as I am for them. We keep in touch whether by text or phone quite regularly so we can update each other as to what is happening but try as we might we don’t get to see each other too often.

Another type of friendship is the type that it doesn't matter if I don't see or speak to you for five years I am still your friend. I have quite a few of this type and I am as happy to have them as I hope they are to have me. It may be a call out of the blue but it is great to know that if I need someone to help me it doesn't matter how long it has been they will be there. I do have some friends that I have had for forty years and although the case is we don’t keep in touch all the time when we do speak it is like we saw each other last week.

It is a joy to be able to say I have so many different levels of friendship but I love them all the same way. All in all I value all of my friends whether they are old or new, constant or not to me they are all special in their own way. I wish everyone was as lucky as me to be able to say that.