When Friends walk away

It has happened to all of us at one point of time or the other.Friends have been unresponsive or failed to come through, for no apparent reason. Sometimes it happens when you need them the most.Yet they choose to be silent.

It happened to me after my Dad’s death. I was hurting and needed to talk. A person whom I considered a good friend suddenly stopped communicating. She lives in Australia and whenever both of us were online she used to never miss a chance to IM me and we used to chat.After my dad’s death, and after I sent her a message informing her of the same, she suddenly stopped replying to my messages, would always appear offline and never bothered to even reply back or send a condolence message. The same thing happened with another person I consider a good friend. Suddenly there are no replies to text messages,(despite communicating that I have been trying to contact), phone calls are unanswered and not returned.There is complete indifference or it is feigned. I wonder why people do that. Is it because they do not know what to say? Or is it because of things going on in their own lives?

Whatever it is, I find it difficult to accept such behavior. May be it is because I would personally never do it. and I judge everybody by the same high standards that I have set. May be these are what they call the “fair weather friends” --the ones who laugh with you when things are okay but choose to turn away the moment you have something sad. The good thing is that one knows who one’s true friends are. and one feels doubly grateful to have such true friends.The bad thing is that it makes you feel like such a fool to have judged people so wrongly. One finds it hard to accept that one was so naïve.The worst thing is that it still hurts.

Found this piece which I felt was a beautiful one. Will do us good to remember it and remind ourselves that it is not our fault when friends walk away.

Reason, Season, or Lifetime--By: Brian A. "Drew" Chalker

What are you??? Are you a Reason a Season or a Lifetime?Pay attention to what you read. After you read this, you will know the reason it was sent to you! People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.When someone is in your life for a REASON. . . It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.Then people come into your life for a SEASON. Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

THANK YOU for being a part of my life.

Work like you don't need the money

Love like you've never been hurt,

and dance like no one is watching.

The picture is an original abstract work which I did sometime back.The human figure running behind the flower shaped kite, represents the futility of trying to hold on to relationships which are fragile.In the other panel,the rope continuing signifies that there are others, whose ties are more soild and therefore more deserving or worthy.Do leave a comment if you liked this painting :-) .Most people do not understand abstract work,therefore the 'artist's explanation' :-)