Meditation Articles Series

Last night a dear friend and I had dinner together.  He brought a gift for me.  I love receiving surprise gifts.  What about you?  When I opened the box there held between packing was a figurine.  This little sculpture is named, “Friendship” and is carved by an artist called, Susan Lordi.  There are no features on her face, and yet her tilted head, the flowers clasped in her tiny hands, and the way her body is held conveys a loving gesture, and an innocent delight in reaching out.  I find the carving very inspiring.  After my friend left I sat for a long time reflecting on what friendship means.

What makes a special friend?  A really good friend accepts you for who you are.  They don’t try to change you to fit in with their image of how you should, or shouldn’t be.   They somehow seem to accept your “faults” and “limitations,” often more than you may do yourself.  They’re really not so hard on you, as you may be on yourself.  And they’re also themselves in that they don’t try to change to be liked by you.  A good friend is respectful, honest, and loyal.  A cherished friend cares about you.  

Recently another dear friend of mine went out of his way to help me when my kitchen became flooded after a deluge of rain.  I can’t tell you how much I felt cared for and supported.  Not only that, he came back a few days later and did some more repair work just to make sure the leak had been fixed.  Now that’s a great friend to have. 

In these blogs I usually weave the writing around meditation in some way.  I was thinking that meditation offers a person friendship.  This is quite an abstract idea.  Let me explain.  Sitting in meditation I observe my thoughts and feelings as they arise.  I don’t judge them and I accept them as they are.  Over time I become less judgmental, softer on myself and not so given to punishing myself if I screw up.  Like a good friend meditation helps me to accept myself for who I am.  Like a good friend meditation leads me to becoming more open, honest and respectful.  Especially, I become more honest with myself.  I grow into a really deep friendship with myself.  Meditation like a good friend is kind and caring.  The more I keep in touch with meditation just like friendship it deepens.  Deepening the qualities of friendship within me I become a mirror to those who would wish to be my friends.