For Convenience

Friendship. Now there's an interesting concept. Does that word have one definition or is it an individual thing, meaning something different for everyone? I wonder about this because a *friend* of mine was saying that he knows a woman who is only friends with people whom she gets something out of...they help her fix things in her house, they babysit her kids, etc etc. This made me wonder, then, what a "true" friendship is. Don't we all befriend people because they give us things, whether it is a ride to frisbee practice every week, emotional support, fun times, etc. Where do you draw the line? What is an acceptable thing to take from a friend, and what is considered only a convenience?

I know it seems like this woman who is friends only with people who provide her with benefits is in the category that most people would say is over-the-line. However, that gives little credit to these others she befriends for her alleged convenience. Aren't they getting something out of the relationship as well? Maybe driving the kids to school makes them feel useful, maybe it uplifts their otherwise down spirits. Maybe not. But I think that relationships of that nature are far less one-sided than they appear. Some people like to do nothing but give, give, give of themselves, and maybe that's just as unhealthy as people who like to take, take, take.

Really, though, who am I to judge why one person seeks friendship from another. All I can evaluate are my own relationships. And I know that there are some people who I don't get anything tangible from, but I still remain connected to them.