Growing Close
Growing close to people is hard. It takes a certain level of intentionality along with grace and acceptance. It takes looking past the ugly, looking past the hurt, looking past the burden and choosing to always see the good in people. Growing close to people is hard because it takes effort—effort to put work into relationships with the risk that the effort may not be reciprocated. It’s hard because in the process of growing close, there becomes some sort of dependence on each other—a dependence of time, support, love, friendship, and community. It’s hard because somewhere along the way, this dependence is barely noticed. It is just accepted and kept as the norm. And while this dependence is not necessarily unhealthy, it is hard because you do not even know that it is there. And then comes the hardest part about growing close—having to say goodbye to someone on whom you didn’t even know you depended. Life is funny that way. You can go months on end without even noticing someth...