Five Minute Friday ~ Tell

Posting a day late this week - because I'm posting at a life overseas: the missions conversation on Friday. 

If you have a second, or if you work/ever have worked/ever hope to work as an expat living overseas, outside your passport country... take a gander over to that site and explore a bit. 

There's a pretty amazing group of writers who regularly post there and I'm still just flabbergasted that I get to be a part of their team...

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And now for 5mf... a day late!

Friday's word was "tell."

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When I was younger, a couple of questions...
a certain type of question...
haunted me.

In my mind, I labeled them telling questions.

• How can I tell when a relationship moves from acquaintance to real true friend?
• How will I be able to tell that he's the one?

Books and movies often make it seem like there must be a lightening bolt instant, a thundering of the heart, a meeting of the eyes, a depth of feeling disclosed, a declared undying loyalty, a sharp and sudden change that cements it all - something that somehow makes some sort of memorable moment - which then chases away all doubt and welcomes confident certainty instead.

It's never really been that way for me. I mean, I know with some of my closer friends, I knew I wanted a friendship to happen and I thus made the effort to spend time and get to know the person. But even today, with those who know me best, I wonder if it will last...

Relationships are like that... unpredictable... yet so necessary, so beautifully scary, so painfully worth it.

With a few relationships, I look back to realize that for over time, kindness, love, care, concern, service, challenge, confrontation...  it all has been spilling over and relationship has become treasured friendship, even if I never, ever pinpoint that telling moment, the first drop that ran up, out and over.

“We cannot tell the exact moment a friendship is formed; 

as in filling a vessel drop by drop, 

there is at last a drop which makes it run over; 

so in a series of kindnesses, 

there is at last one that makes the heart run over.” 

(Sadly, I have no idea to whom I should attribute this quote.)

photo credit: stephcarter via photopin cc

photo credit: jordandouglas via photopin cc

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Linking up with Kate today for another 5mf!