Daily Deals from a Nerd Mom

Reason, season, & lifetime friends. I’ve always strongly believed that we meet people throughout our lives for a reason. This poem has always stuck with me & it makes it easier to deal with when a friendship ends.

Friends for a Reason

Meeting someone for a reason means that they were there to teach you a lesson that you needed.

Someone could have swooped into your life and introduced you to new interests & hobbies. These could have shaped your lifestyle & then the person was gone as fast as they came in. Looking back at who you were before they appeared, you can see how much they influenced who you are today.

Maybe you had relationships with people who treated you wrong & made you realize that you’re worth more than that. You gained more self-confidence & worth which makes future relationships stronger.

Most everyone has a teacher or a guide that sticks in their mind because you looked up to them. They could have taught or shown you valuable lessons, and not just school subjects. I had an English teacher in high school that had us write vignettes at the beginning of class. It was my favorite thing to do & it sparked my love of writing.

Friends for a Season

A ‘seasonal’ person means they were there to help shape your personality & help you grow as a person.

This can be as simple as someone you met while traveling to a very deep relationship that has ended.

You could have met someone who has a very different personality and outlook on life as you. You may have learned to not take things so seriously from a free-spirited person. You might have decided to travel more because of a friend you met on a trip. The ending of a deep relationship could have you evaluating your attitude. This could result in a positive change for the future.

In reflecting on the types of friends we encounter, it’s insightful to consider those who introduce us to new concepts and community responsibilities. For instance, a friend who works with foster children might spark a conversation about what is foster care, leading to a deeper understanding of social systems and the roles we can play within them. This friend might only be in your life for a season, but the awareness and empathy they instill can last a lifetime, profoundly shaping how you view and interact with the world around you. Such friendships enrich our lives by connecting us to larger causes and teaching us the value of service and compassion.

Friendships for a season usually end with you having a different outlook on life. They shape your personality, future, and even career.

Friends for a Lifetime

Lifetime people are those who stick with you through the long haul.

These people could be family, the ones who are always there no matter what, such as parents, siblings, grandparents, etc. They have your best interest at heart & help push you towards your goals.

Lifetimers could also be the ex-partners that you share children with. No matter the outcome of the relationship, there is a lesson to learn from it. You both have the same goal in life, to raise your children as best as you can. Both can grow from this. They can learn how to respect each other. They can move on to other relationships with newfound knowledge.

Longtime friendships, like friends from a young age, are not so easy to come by but do happen. You can stick together through all the changes & experience life-changing moments together.

And, of course, you have the loving, long-term partner, relationship. These are the people you feel are the ones we will stay with forever, the “love of your life”. Lifetime partners normally experience marriage, children, buying a home together, etc. and the chance to grow old together.

Conclusion

Knowing how each person you’ve come across fits into these categories will help shape you & bring clarity to situations. It can also ease the pain of losing a friend. You realize there was a lesson there. That lesson may have even changed you into who you are now.