Friends

Have you ever watched Strangers, Again by the Wong Fu Productions?

Of course you have. It's so simple, so painfully poignant.

It is one of the stories in my life. Two strangers meeting and they find something special, someone to believe 

in. Someone with whom forever may not be long enough.

The short walks you through the stages in a relationship; from strangers to friends, to the passionate going out stage, to the sadly inevitable comfortable (read neglect) stage, and then, finally, to a parting of paths.

Strangers to friends to something much more to an abruptly strangers, again.

I don't disagree with this. The video is so relatable because so many of us have gone through something similar.

It reminds me of Barney's 'Don't poop where you eat' theory, aka the Platinum Rule, otherwise known as the never-love-thy-neighbour paradigm.

He lays out the stages as Attraction-Bargaining-Submission-Perks-Tipping Point-Purgatory-Confrontation-Fallout. Ted then adds another stage, Coexistence.

I think Ted is partially right, and so were the guys at WFP.

I'd like to change that last stage, to more than just coexistence. Let's call that that stage Friendship, a stage that comes with much time, and much patience.

Because to be any less than that would signify some degree of unforgiveness, of not letting go.

You don't have to be strangers, again, or to merely acknowledge the other's existence.

Friendship is possible, but it requires both to be mature, to acknowledge that the past did happen, to be honest that there was pain, but there was also love, and above all of it, the love you shared was real.

I can honestly say I am a better person today, because the people in my past chose to forgive me and to look above my failings.

Maybe, we need to change the perception to Friends, Again.