Here’s another quote from Henri Nouwen:
No two friends are the same. Each has his or her own gift for us. When we expect one friend to have all we need, we will always be hypercritical, never completely happy with what he or she does have. One friend may offer us affection, another may stimulate our minds, and another may strengthen our souls. The more able we are to receive the different gifts our friends have to give us; the more able we will be to offer our own unique but limited gifts. Thus, friendships create a beautiful tapestry of love...
As I look back on the many and varied friendships I have had (and continue to have) in my life, this explains it very well. each have known me at a particular time in my life. Some have helped without knowing me barely at all. Some I have known almost my entire life and I trust them implicitly. I call it a wealth of friendships for I am a very rich man because of them.
There is a warning in his first paragraph about relying on one person to fill all our needs. He says we will never be happy. I say it is toxic, like breathing all of the air in one air-tight room. You’re left with no more air and…
But, there is also encouragement here. Nouwen wants us to see that woven together, these many and varied friends will create something beautiful, in us! We can also see how we contribute, in our own inadequate way, to someone else’s tapestry. All I can say is: thank you friends for helping to shape and mold me over the years.
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