“Give me some of that!” shouted the five-year-old little boy as he saw his tiny buddy walk into the cul-de-sac with a small bag of tasty goodness.

“No!” came the automatic and well-articulated response.

“I won’t be your best friend anymore if you don’t give me some.”

“Okay, but you can only have one.”

~~~~~~~~~~

That was an actual conversation I heard recently while standing in my driveway. As you can picture in your mind, it was not between the mailman and the garbage truck driver.

We’ve all heard it. We’ve probably all even said it back when candy was our friendship currency.

When we are just barely able to walk, our friends are wherever our parents take us and bonds happen immediately upon seeing the right toy. When we become school-aged, our friends are those who will play with us at recess. As we progress in school, our BFFs are those who have comparable interests, are in similar clubs, or play the same sports as us right up until a cute girl or boy messes things up.

Once we enter adulthood-ish, we become friends with people we meet at work, worship with at church, sit next to at the local pub, or collide with during a full-throttle pickleball battle. If we are really fortunate, we become friends with our neighbors.

Progressing through the stages of life allows us to make all kinds of friends and close acquaintances in various and sometimes hilarious ways. Maturity and intentionality create important, impactful, and lasting friendships.

What kind of friendships do you have?

What kind of friendships do you want?

What kind of friendships do you need?