Meaningful Relationships, Meaningful Lifeਨਮੂਨਾ

This is what I teach my children about friendship. I tell them to seek out one friend who they know has their back, who they can count on not to bad-mouth them, who they know will always welcome them at the lunch table, who will stand up for them in a crowd. If they have one friend like this, then they should consider themselves abundantly blessed.

Unfortunately, many people go through their whole lives never having this kind of friend. And moms, if we are our kids' only true friend, even for a season, our kids are still abundantly blessed. There are far too many souls in this world that never experience excellent love, but moms can naturally fill that gap.

When you model excellent friendship through your relationship with your child, you teach them what to look for in others and how to offer genuine friendship themselves. They learn that true friendship involves loyalty, honesty, forgiveness, and mutual support through both joyful and difficult seasons.

Remember that friendship skills, like all relationship skills, begin in the home. The way you treat your child, the grace you extend during conflicts, and the joy you find in their company all contribute to their understanding of what healthy relationships look like.

Reflection Question: What qualities of true friendship are you modeling in your relationship with your child that will guide them in future relationships?