Nov. 5th - "I'm Thankful for: "

     The fact that friendships are not regulated or restricted by things such as the following examples.
     ~ In several different religions, you are assigned which 'church' you are to attend. This is due to the denominations church leadership having set up 'districts', similar to what the government does with school districts. If you live with-in these boundaries, then you are to attend this particular 'church'.
       I am thankful that there are no boundaries with-in which someone must live in order to be my friend. They can live close enough that they also qualify under the category of being (literal) neighbors. They can live across town. They can live across my state. They can live in neighboring states. They can live in a state across this nation. Or they can even live in a different nation, whether it be a neighboring nation or not. 
     ~ Often times when people move, they also end up changing which church they attend, whether their religion deems that necessary or not. They do so based on the 'convenience' factor.
       I am thankful that you can still be friends with somebody, even after one of you moves. After all, it is way more in-convenient to stop being friends, based solely on the fact that you no longer live as close to one another and thus can't actually get together as frequently.
     ~ At certain events, once you leave, you can't get back in. Period. No matter if your hand is stamped or not.
       I am thankful that even if you have lost contact with somebody for years, it doesn't void out your friendship. Reestablishing old friendships is such a heart warming experience!
     ~ Now-a-days in the school systems, they separate you into different buildings by age categories. And the various age groups are strongly discouraged from hanging around the others buildings.
       I am thankful that friendships are not limited to people only with-in my age category. There are people whom I deem dear friends, that are over twenty years different in age than I am. Some are twenty (or more) years my senior, some are twenty (or more) years younger than me. I am thankful that all of them are my friends, as well as the ones closer in age to me.
     ~ In order to get a membership to certain types of clubs or organizations, your family must have had membership there-in for many generations. Sometimes an exception is made due to you being very good friends with a long standing member, and they in-turn are able to 'pull strings' and slip your name onto the books.
       I am thankful that I can be friends with somebody, whether my family has ever met them or not. And that it also doesn't matter if any of my other friends yet knows the person.
     ~ Often social 'circles' are based on income levels. Certain types of locations and/or events, are only patronized by people of certain income levels.
       I am thankful that friendships do not have to be only with people with-in your own income level. While some friends might not be able to 'afford' certain places, or homes, or vacations that other friends can, it does not mean they can't get together and do things on mutually do-able grounds.
     ~ In department stores, clothing is usually separated by sizes. They do not put the XXL size in with the size fours.
       I am thankful that people can be close friends with other people whom are totally different in size from one another.
     ~ Libraries usually separate and arrange their fiction books by categories of interest. The romance books are placed here, the sci-fi books are there and the mysteries are over there.
       I am thankful that you can be friends with somebody even when you have differences in tastes and or styles.
    
    As I am sure you suspect, I could keep going with the examples. But I won't. o;-)

    I am just thankful that friendships do not necessarily have to be regulated or restricted by such trivial matters.



The 2010 "I'm Thankful for: " Challenge   - if you don't know what this is, follow the lead on our side bar.