Day 5: Be Thankful for Friends

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Originally published on November 5, 2019. Updated on November 5, 2022.

Thanks for joining us on Day 5 of the 30 Thankful Days Challenge. If you haven’t downloaded the free companion journal, click below.

Friends are special people, to be cherished and appreciated.

You can’t force friendship, can you? They sort of just happen organically. You go from casual chats and shared interests, to more personal talks and disclosure. Suddenly, you have a person you can confide in, someone to laugh with.

In this busy life, when you and a pal can pick right up with the conversation you left off with years ago as if no time has passed? That’s how you know you’ve got a real friend.

Friends lift us up when we’re down. They listen to our stories without judgment. They also can make us laugh, and provide a shoulder on which to cry.

Ones You Can Depend on…Friends…

Thanks to Whodini from my childhood…

Think of all the friends you have. These can be classified into categories. You may have friends you’ve known forever. People who you went to school with, played with every day on the streets of your neighborhood as a kid.

You probably have friends whom you know you could tell anything to. These could be people with whom you came of age during the college years. Or maybe they’re friends that you went through something together with.

Did you volunteer overseas, serve in the military, or study abroad? Friends who find themselves together in unfamiliar lands or adverse situations often create strong, lasting bonds.

What about workmates? If you worked in the same place of employment for many years, you may have some friends from this corner of your life. These folks happen to know every detail of who you are as a person thanks to stories swapped between cubicles, or on lunch breaks, or in airports, or on job sites.

Neighbors, too, become friends… some, more than others, but still a certain degree of comradery.

Some people don’t feel that they have many friends. Or, perhaps you’ve drifted from the friends you once knew.

When we change as a person, we can grow out of the friendships that once felt so comfortable. Maybe your perspective has changed, but your friends can’t identify. This can feel sad at first. But remember, there are always new friends to be made on the path of life.

Day 5 JOURNAL EXERCISE: Give Thanks for Friends

Think of the people whom you consider your best friends. Write down their names. What has earned them this title for you?

Did you face something difficult together?
Did you come through for them, or they for you, in a time of need?

Think of some dear friends, and what it is about them that draws you to them? Do they make you smile and laugh? Do they have a special understanding of, and acceptance for, who you are as a person?

Write down why your dearest friends are so special to you.

If you’ve felt yourself drifting from your closest friends recently, ask why this might be happening.

Are you both bogged down with schedules and to-do lists?
Do you seem to be losing common interests and common ground for conversation?

Consider all the things you have to be thankful for this person. Make plans to get together!

Now, let’s give thanks for people we know who have the potential to become friends.

Write down their name(s). What is it about this person or persons that make you want to become closer as friends?

If something has stopped you from getting to know each other even though you wanted to, what was it?
Can you move past that obstacle, reach out to them, and kindle a friendship?

If this seems overwhelming, think of ways to start small, and get to know this person better. Write down some activities that you can invite them to. Do you have other friends they might get along with?

Bringing good people together is another excellent reason to give thanks for the joy of friendship!

Free Journal

This is the free Workbook that goes along with the posts that you can download. It’s a perfect time to look at all the things we should be grateful for. Click below for the free accompanying journal.