Kids have it easy. They know who their friends are and with the exception of status among the troops they can pick, choose, and often drop at will. I know that it is not quite as simple as I remember it. Once you have a friend and you do anything together after school you find that both of your mothers are involved. On the other hand the trigger words that you can use to help your mother see the light include the following:
I am not having fun with _____ anymore.
I often find that I am getting in trouble when I play with _______.
I find myself doing things I know I shouldn’t when I am around _______.
_____ really plays rough, doesn’t he?
I have seen ______ with _______ (anyone your mother does not like) a lot lately.
I am sure I was an iffy friend when I was younger. While I remember some of my better moments I also recall a lot that I wish I did not. We were frequently mean and selfish. We were often cruel to those who were weaker. Exploiting a situation came naturally.
I can still remember the first experience of being the new kid and victim of a cruel group of kids. I was humiliated, ashamed, and angry. The price of friendship was far beyond anything that I had ever experienced!
Wisdom suggests that it is “better to live alone in a tumbled down shack mixed than share a mansion with a nagging spouse.” (Proverbs 21.9) True, but with friends it often seems like we have little choice. I am fortunate to live in a family that I would willing choose if I had the decision. I am lucky to work with colleagues that, in general, I like. There is a rub.
As I look and reflect on the cost of relationships I wonder if I am worth the price. Fortunately the most important person in my life said yes! Remember; God also says the same about you; you are priceless, beyond value, and family.
