Anxiety

One of the best things about having friends is the comfort they give us when we are anxious or upset. Let's take a look at anxiety, and what it means to be anxious and stressed. I know that when I am anxious, I fear that I am going to lose something. I am going to get a bad grade on my report card, I am going to lose function in my kidney, I am going to lose the love of my parents or boyfriend, etc. Something is going to bite into my enjoyment of life. Friends, or even just one good friend, can help.

What I find most comforting when I am anxious, is simply to see that someone is at peace in my company. In fact, almost anybody will open up to someone who themselves is relaxed and at peace. Then, let's say... I'm nervous about something I've said or done. That's a good one. I'll confess something horrible from my own life that I did, for an example: I used to entertain young kids in my home when they came home from school, or in the summer. Well, one day they came over, and they were terribly terribly hungry. And all I had to spare in my kitchen was some packs of ramen noodles. But the ramen noodles were very old, and had gotten bugs in them. And I kept insisting to these children that I could not give then anything. But they kept fussing, and saying that they had to have something to eat. Finally I gave in, and heated up the ramen noodles, bugs and all. And they ate them happily. (Unbelievable). So then, after the kids left, what I had done weighed on my conscience terribly, and I called a friend and confessed. Not sure anymore now what exactly she said, but I felt better about myself, because I acknowledged that what I did was wrong, and honestly told someone that I had done something wrong, and that I knew it was wrong. As I think of it now, there were a number of other things I did while taking care of those kids that were very wrong. I was only in my late 20s, and they were not my kids, and I was not being paid to take care of them. And although there were good things about the way I cared for them, and they came over voluntarily every day, I feel sorry for any harmful influence I had on them.

So, getting back on the topic of anxiety, being willing and available to listen to our friends, even when they need to talk about difficult things, can help a great deal with lifting anxiety, and achieving a closer friendship. In fact, I will say that listening with a (sincerely) open mind is the greatest thing we can do for anyone who is upset or anxious.

This is a bad world we live in. I have reached out to strangers before, both from a heart of knowing how much some people need a friend, and sometimes out of my own despair and loneliness. I just want to tell you, you have to be very careful. Do not be foolhardy. Keep a fixed concept in your mind of your own worth.

♬   Leslie Phillips: Your Kindness