Monday, August 1st will be the 2nd year anniversary of The Bead Movement. What has happened since the beginning? How has it changed my life? With so much, and so much of it has already been talked about here. So instead of focusing on what the beads have brought into my life by way of paradigms and such, what I would like to mention is the extraordinary friendship which has come along with it.
Every week Johanna and I Skype. We don’t simply catch up but also spend time considering themes, topics, what the beads have brought up this week. Its an incredible privilege to embark on this kind of journey with someone. To be open, vulnerable and mine what the real definition of a true friend is. That’s not something I had considered would happen when we began the bead movement 2 years ago. Its been a bonus or perhaps it is an illustration of what I hoped that the bead movement would give me; authentic relationships, clarity and love with the people with whom I am fortunate enough to have crossed paths with.
I read a blog post months ago when the writer was saying that he had been brought up speaking Arabic and now lives in America. When you say how are you in Arabic you are literally asking how is your heart and the response you get is personal. When you ask how are you in America most often the response you get is I’m so busy. Somehow that has replaced an authentic response, maybe we don’t even know how we are actually because we’re so focused on our productivity to have a moments thought for our hearts.
We have such little time in this world what a tragedy to miss opportunities of real friendship by pipping it at the post with inane cliched remarks. So there, that is a true true diamond of a gift to have received with the simple act of counting beads, real friendship.
There are many words to describe what true friendship is but the one that jumps out at me when I think of Johanna is A good influence; someone who inspires you to be your best rather than indulge your basest desires. When I was struggling earlier this year Johanna sent me a beautiful postcard with a photograph of a woman lying over the sidewalk and the message change your perspective. Thats what the bead movement has done ultimately for me and I am extremely grateful for the wonderful friendship that I have found along the way.
Tags: authenticity, friendship, love, The bead movement
