The Today Show had a segment this morning on how having friends can have an effect on how long we live. They went as far as to say that we need 6 types of friends to create the maximum effectiveness of this theory. Here is the list of the 6 type of friends one needs to extend our lives and to enjoy them more fully.
1. Old Friend - Someone who know the real you and has history. There is something comforting in nostalgia and going down memory lane with someone. In addition, they require no "get you up to speed" time. If you keep in contact...they know your lingo and where you are coming from. They get you.
2. New Friend - It's important to stay fresh. New Friends allow you to learn to things. They expose you to a different way of approaching things. Change is good and allows us to reinvent ourselves. It's always good to start over and with a new friends we have a clean slate and no preconceived notions from our past.
3. Workout Friend - A must as we age. Working out is not an option...the facts are there. Use it or lose it. This is your buddy that holds you accountable and that you enjoy sweating in front of. They may not be someone you have deep conversations with, because you breathing so hard that you can't talk. But they are committed and are dependable.
4. Spiritual Friend - This friend is a heart connection that knows that your friendship is bigger than the two of you. For me, this is really important and my good friends are in this category. I enjoy the "iron sharpens iron" approach with my deep friendships. We love to talk about what God is doing in our lives, to pray for each other, encourage one another and hold each other accountable in love. For me these are my Sisters in Christ.
5. Younger Friend - This friendship fills our need for nurturing others. It is also a great act of service. The bible teaches in titus for the older and wiser woman to mentor the younger women. We should share our skills in cooking, decorating, mothering, gardening, crafting. We can even share our mistakes for others to learn from. Then our mistakes are not in vain.
6. Partner's Friends - This one was weird for me., because my partner is a man...my husband and I'm not typically friends with his friends, but essentially it suggests that we embrace our spouse's friends. I like to put my spin and say that couples should have couple-type friends. Friends that you go to dinner with. Maybe vacation with. Usually it's a family thing with kids included. This can be fun, but don't make the mistake and only do things with other couple forgoing your personal family time. That should never be forsaken.
So the question is....Do you have all 6 type of friends in your life? Which ones are you missing? What's your plan? Do share...I'd love to know...Until then...
Share His Love,
Faithful
