Please sir. She is my kid sister and for reasons relating to her health, we can’t stay far from each other, so, please help us sir.
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Sometimes, I wonder why people tend to compare people that choose to be friends with each other. It doesn’t matter if they have nothing in common, it is part of what makes friendship flourish. Not having anything in common, but living with the differences, navigating life with the differences, thinking differently, and helping each other strive, most times, the individual differences have a huge contribution.
Olabisi and I have been friends for over six years, and up till now, I’ve had to answer questions about why I chose her to be my friend. In fact, some people go as far as asking how I cope with her. LOL. Well, I didn’t choose her. Nature brought us together because she is the complement I need.
Reasons for these questions are not far-fetched. Physically, we have absolutely nothing in common. Height, body shape, complexion, everything is way different. Temperament? Oh, my friend is short-tempered, and wouldn’t hesitate to call out anyone that annoyed her. Dress sense? We are veeeery far apart in relation to that, but who cares? Maybe every other person, but me.
Every relationship requires effective communication and understanding of each other, and friendship is NOT an exception.
My friend’s big body frame saved me from being posted to a remote area with little to no access to medical centers, electricity, and basic amenities. She acted as my aunt, and nobody doubted the relationship. Of course, nobody will, especially because she dressed like the rich Lagos Aunty that she is. Lol. Honestly, that location would have been detrimental to my overall well-being considering that I was just recovering from an ailment at the time. Also, my mental health would’ve been highly compromised because tell me how I was supposed to survive a whole 11 months without access to electricity? Meaning my gadgets would be down 70% of the time.
I tend to overlook a lot of things because I don’t like trouble, so, I tend to avoid people that were rude to me. But my friend would say, “if you don’t put a stop to these things now, they’ll forever do it to you. It’s not about being rude or anything, it’s just letting them know the things you don’t tolerate.” Even though I still tend to exhibit my ‘act of running’ once a while, nobody dares to talk to me anyhow when my friend is there. Lol. Sometimes, other people call her my mum.
These and many more are the strengths of my friend, but, for me, my strengths and contributions to the friendship are different and that is why we are over six years strong.
The only thing that should have opposites are words (words and opposites), not friendship. Our differences are what make us friends, and in the long run, we tend to influence each other’s actions, and our personalities will take the shape that mother nature wants.
Nature brings people together for a reason, and unless we understand that the goal of the meeting is achieved in the differences, we will always compare friends, and fail to see how much of a complement they are to one another.
The picture is mine.