I have had a few setbacks on friendship recently.
Despite the disappointment and let-down, there is a lesson to be learned.
To sum it up in a bit of a cliché phrase, there are “50 shades of friendship”.
To elaborate, I think managing one’s expectation is important. We all live within certain parameters of our own expectations. One should bear in mind that friendship is not binary; rather it is closer to a spectrum with “best friends” and “total strangers” at each end. In addition, we also need to bear in mind that reciprocity is not a necessary condition. Furthermore, the perception of friendship between the 2 parties may be very different. Last but not least, friendship is a journey and there will be ups and downs.
So I told my very good self, “Hang in there and smile, Raymond!”