Take out Time for your Friends - it makes you and them happy!

I have been writing about friendships in the last days, how you can find friends, why you should not keep expectations and also about the time that you have to spend with someone if you would like to establish a friendship. Today I want to write a bit about your reaction when you are the one who is being approached.

I have made some very nice experience with people who have got in touch through the internet. There are people who read the website and send an email with the wish to connect. There are others who send a friend request in facebook or connect on my facebook page, read for a while what I have to say, start commenting and we have a conversation. Sometimes people then ask whether they can come and visit and I am always very happy to welcome them!

I actually feel very happy that these people take time for coming until Vrindavan just to establish a friendship with me or my family. Such a person shows his interest, does effort and with the wish to connect and get closer, he actually comes until here. Whenever someone comes here, I try to take out some time for them to respect their love and effort.

In this age and time, people just don’t seem to have time for anything! They don’t even have time for themselves, they have endless tasks to do for their work, numerous plans on what they still have to achieve in their private lives but if someone takes out time to be with you, to talk to you and to strengthen your friendship, it is great and we should appreciate it.

It is not only people who physically visit you in your home though! Maybe some people are far away and they really cannot afford the trip or cannot take the time off work to come to you. It is just the time and effort that they do to show you your friendship is important. They ask you how you are, they phone from time to time or sit down and write you an email about what has happened in their lives. It is this effort, this sign or being important to them, that makes you feel good.

Whenever someone does such an effort to connect, I believe we should take time from our own schedule and reply in the same manner. Welcome your guests and treat them well. Answer the phone and take some time for a talk. Sit down at the computer yourself and reply the email.

In turn it strengthens your friendship, if you invite others to your home or visit them at theirs. Call them to ask how they are doing. You don’t lose anything from just getting in touch again, if you do a bit of effort to stay connected and close.

On the contrary, you only gain. You gain when they come to you because it makes you happy and you gain when you can make another person happy with a small effort for your friendship. So pick up the phone or switch on your computer, think of your friends and write some lines. Include an invitation or tell them you would like to come – or simply go to their home and say hi. Because there should always be enough time for a friend!