How do you nurture your friendships?

Are you a good friend? How do you nurture your friendships on Gaia? How do you nurture friendships with off-line friends?

e.g., one thing I do, is to read as many friends' blogs a day as possible; add a comment whenever I have something worthwhile to say.

And you?

Re: How do you nurture your friendships?

I try to be on-line as much as possible so that I can stay current with what is going on with my Gaia friends! I look at my friend list at least once a week and send a personal email to several of my friends that I've not heard from in awhile.

I like to archive my longest email to a friend so that I can go back once in awhile and re read what we were chatting about and check in to see if anything new has happened with the subject that happened in the past. Sometimes we forget what it was we were chatting about so it's nice to be able to keep a log of what was exchanged between us!

So, off I go to check in on some friends!

Smiles and Sunshine!
amber

Re: How do you nurture your friendships?

I've been wondering if we should indicate on our profile page what we can or can't do as a friend. e.g. sometimes a friend may reach out and be disappointed at not getting a timely response. Should we indicate in our profile page  how often we are online?

Re: How do you nurture your friendships?

Yes, Menakshi. I think setting out likely response times, types, and volumes can be helpful in giving people an idea of what to expect. While I never encounter the need to do that, I could understand that you, or other moderators would. And, although I rarely write you, that would be useful information to have as a correspondent.

Re: How do you nurture your friendships?

I nuture a friendship as I would nuture a relationship with myself, kindness and consideration, hold them in the light, even if I haven't time to stop for a conversation.

I have always 'slipped off into the woods' to contemplate for long periods. I have a terrible sense of time, and am sometimes surprised to realize that a year has passed since I visited someone (offline), or did something. However, my friends (offline) and I have the experience as if it was just the day before when we last laughed and played–when we do get together. We give completely and sincerely, and time has nothing to do with that.

Re: How do you nurture your friendships?

Meenakshi,
You can indicate on your profile page how often you are online, with also stating that “your” busy times and allowing for interruptions in your computer time.  Why not just state it in your status.  I usually am on line every day morning, noon, or night depending on whether I am at work.  Most of the time, I am on quite early in the morning.
Getting back to the question at hand, I really try to keep in touch with everyone, either personally or by my status.  I literally read everyone's blog, go into every group that I belong to and read all the posts.  That takes time and I try to formulate answers.  I try not to speak before I think which is a lesson learned many years ago.  Friendships are precious as your family and in some cases, become an integral part of your life.  As my father always taught me, treat others as you would want them to treat you and always speak with a smile on your face even when you are angry with the person for this allow the other person to become calmer.  Actions do speak louder than words.  I am here for my friends, and most importantly my family, though I live a great distance away yet only a touch of the finger through the airwaves.  I do feel at times, that when I post blogs, some I don't mind without any comments, but then those that I would like to have comments on, sort of get by the wayside and I know this is not intentional, people want to form opinions and practice what I do, not speaking before thinking.  I love my gaian friends here and find it all so comforting just to come in, take a chill pill and read and enjoy.  It gives me so much pleasure knowing that all I have to do is say that I am a little down, and then all of a sudden, people are right there.  So amazing and all so precious.  You all are my friends.  Love you all.

Re: How do you nurture your friendships?

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with my Gaia friends.  For a while there was some sort of bug that kept preventing me from adding comments to blogs, so I concentrated on group discussions for a while.  Now it seems by the time I get done looking at all the group posts I have no time to peek at friends' blogs.  And things have happening on the blogs while I wasn't looking!  It's a happy problem to have, though, and I'm not complaining, even though I tend to feel like I'm missing a lot of stuff!  I just haven't figured out the best way to balance it out yet!

It reminds me of being on a whale-watching boat.  Someone sees a whale breach and all the tourists stampede to port side.  Then nothing.  Then someone sees something on the other side of the boat and most of them trot over to starboard.  One never knows where the next bit of excitement will be.  Some finally plant themselves in one spot and resign themselves to seeing whatever will come into their vantage point, and others keep darting back and forth, trying to get the best of on both sides. Once I found all this so exhausting I went to the stern to rest and gaze at the ocean and was surprised and delighted to find a pod of playful dolphins jumping in the boat's wake…

I tend to give people and friends the benefit of the doubt - most friends mean well even if they don't give us all of what we might wish for.  It helps not to be quick to take offense.  I keep forgetting to look at statuses…   Gina, I like your advice, “take a chill pill and read and enjoy…”

Re: How do you nurture your friendships?

I think most of my friendships here have been nurtured through “grapevine” or “status” post, those are the most readily viewable. Looking into someones' blog is something I forget to do unless another friend has replied about it or too it and I am interested…
As for my own blogs, they are mostly ignored… yes sometimes I would like a response but heck I move on…
It seems at the moment many of the “frienships” I have nurtured have moved away from Gaia, maybe on to facebook, or have just taken a break… it seems very quiet here…

Jeff