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Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Good Friends Help Heal Pain

Friendship has a lot of different faces. There are the friends that drain you, casual friends that don't have much of an affect on you, friends you go through phases with of being close and drifting, or friends that can help to heal you they know you so well or are so uplifting.

On Saturday I will be maid of honor in my best friend's wedding. Julie and I have been friends for over 26 years and as I review the poem I wrote to read to her at the toast I am reminded of what a true friendship we have and how lucky I have been in friendships in my life.

When I was ill there were friends that truly dropped me. They figured I would be no fun or felt they didn't know how to relate to me. I also pulled back from a lot of people because I felt limited and did not ever want to complain. I was immersed in my pain and limitations but there were still those friends that when I talked to them -- I felt lighter. Friends that made me laugh, friends that always had something good to tell me about, friends that asked me about me and listened to the answer rather than just waiting to talk. Friends that didn't judge -- just let me be me and loved me for who I was.

When I started reading Susan Sark she talked about the importance of friends and I started REALLY looking at all the wonderful people I have been lucky enough to know in my life. I started calling old friends I hadn't talked to. I took my first mini vacation in 8 years away from my husband and kids to NYC where I met up with 20 friends from different times of my life for dinner. Boy was THAT fun! I also started taking hour long walks a few times a week with my close friend Angela. A talk with a good friend can feel better than just about anything else; inspirational, thought provoking, fun, warm, loving and uplifting.

When I was in the process of healing myself I made sure I spent a lot more time around my friends that made me feel good. Calling a good friend you haven't talked to in a while is a GREAT way to elevate your mood as well as your friend's mood. I am always amazed that I can talk to a friend I haven't talked to in YEARS and it feels like not a day has passed (except we both have LOTS of share and catch up on).

Good friends are so necessary to our well being. It is important not to take them for granted or to forget about the good ones you have made. Next time you know you have 1/2 hour and are thinking about watching TV or playing a game -- why not pick up the phone instead? Call a friend you haven't talked to in a while that you miss. You will immediately lift their mood as well as yours. You will have also gained 1/2 hour of much greater entertainment and reward than the computer or the TV could give you.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Jenny-good job on the newsletter! And this post is a great reminder about friends. My best friend, JULIE, came into my life 38 years ago-what a gift! Enjoy the wedding! Deb

Jenny Mannion said...

Always a pleasure to hear from you Deb! Thanks for the comment on the newsletter -- my first attempt and it was hard not to add even more stuff since I am getting so many more resources daily. I am SO excited for the wedding -- I love Julie's "other half" and it will be so good to see old friends. Friends are an amazing gift and I am so grateful for all the ones I am lucky enough to have! Have a GREAT weekend! Jenny

Anonymous said...

Another great post. I'm loving how your posts are expanding and broadening! Keep up the good work!

Jenny Mannion said...

Thanks Stacie, I LOVE getting comments from you! I love your blog and seeing I got a comment or email from you always makes me smile. You were one of those friends I mentioned that even when I was ill, you made me smile, we talked about life and you asked and listened about ME. Thank you. I am truly grateful for your friendship. Jenny

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