Reflections for 1/12/12

"There are four qualities which characterize a friend: loyalty, right intention, discretion, and patience."  Aelred of Rievaulx

Today at our service we commemorated Aelred a 12th century monk.  You probably don't know much about him unless you're a real church junky.  All of the readings for his day revolved around friendship.

I certainly have friends.  On Facebook I have well over 500.  Some of these are people I see regularly. Some are of course relatives and others people from various chapters of my life.  Only a few are people I have never met outside of that medium.

If I were to apply Aelred's qualities of friendship, I know that my best friend Gail meets all four.  I have two others people that I feel meet those four for sure. 

I do try to relate to all people, no matter who they are and what are relationship is, in a similar fashion.  If you count me as a friend you probably have my loyalty unless you really burn me.  I try to interact with right intention and certainly to use discretion and be patient with most.

Who are your friends? What are the characteristics that are important to you in determining who your friends are?  Are they as old as Aelred's, or do we have different litmus tests these days?

Blessings,
Ed