Last night I had dinner with three old friends. We have decades of shared history under our belts. Although we see each other much less frequently than we used to, there is no doubt in my mind that my relationship with each of these three guys will last all of our days on Earth. I love them, and I appreciate their friendship more than words can say.These friendships are among the greatest gifts I have been given.
Over dinner, we talked about intimacy, and what a blessing it is to have someone with whom you can be open and honest. We agreed that it is a great privilege to have someone share their heart with you, and that such privilege comes with great responsibility. We also discussed the deep need that everyone has for this kind of emotional intimacy, and how frequently physical intimacy is used as a cheap substitute.
Why do we need to be close to people? Why do we hunger and thirst for good relationships? Why is intimacy so important to us? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Photograph source: http://karensyed.wordpress.com/2011/07/23/success-by-default/cute-friendship-love-wallpaper/
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a theory in psychology on what humans need to survive and the order in importance in which they need them. Human contact being third under the umbrella Love/Belonging, which came below physiological, so; food, water, breathing etc, then safety; shelter, resources, employment, etc.
ReplyDeleteSo, our need for strong friendships is according to psychologists, an important need in us.
I much prefer your cute picture to people sometimes!