I have no idea where the following message originated from, but it’s been floating around Facebook for the past week…who does it make you think about?

When I first read this statement my first thought was Yes! Of course. Why make all that effort if the other person doesn’t make an effort as well? Why try to maintain a friendship when it appears that the other person doesn’t care? Why bother when they don’t?

And then I thought about it a little bit.

Life is busy for all of us with families, work, and other activities. We have so much going on in our lives that sometimes we just get busy and sometimes friendships are the first thing we tend let slide.

Friends come and go through out our lives. Some are really good friends that we love and miss greatly when they are gone from our lives. And then there are others who are merely passing acquaintances who we either miss or barely remember.

Relationships take time, effort, and work for sure. This goes for friends, significant others, families, and yes… those mere acquaintances. A lot of work and please never think otherwise.

It’s important that we value the friendships & relationships that we make and cherish them. We must remember to never take our friends for granted and that a call is always better than a text, a hand written card is always better than a wall post on Facebook, and it’s that special touch that shows you care.

If you make an effort you can be sure that it will be appreciated and returned.

Now, on the other hand there often comes a time, due to circumstances, where you have to say that the friendship or relationship isn’t worth the effort anymore. I know this first hand and it was one of the hardest decisions in my life and it weighs on my heart.

How do you maintain your friendships?