Hello, friends! Greetings to you all,
Reflecting back on my past and current relationship (friendship), one unique lesson I have learned from them is reciprocity.
Reciprocity, as much as that word is small, is one of the pillars that supports the structure of any kind of relationship. It's the act of giving back to others what they have given to you. The absence of it in any kind of relationship makes it one-sided and parasitic, and the person that's always “giving” in the relationship will definitely get tired no matter their tolerance rate which might lead to broken or troubled relationship.
Quality friendship has always been a priority for me, especially since when I'm in my 100 level, and as someone that values friendship so much, I'm always willing to put in the effort to make it an amazing one. I have had my share of so many parasitic relationships that almost made me start thinking of stop being good to people because I have been taken advantage of, and at the same time, I have friends (past and current) that made me know that putting in the work for friendship isn't a waste.
Last October, I went to Port Harcourt (a city in Rivers State, Nigeria) to write a professional exam, and I had to stay with one of my closest friends, who is also a corp member. When I got to her house that evening, she served me food, and we chatted for a while trying to catch up. Besides, we have not seen each other since our induction.
After a while, she told me that she would be at work for most of the week, so she helped me save some of her food that she knew that I loved the most: spaghetti, garri (cassava flour), and yam flour for the time I would be spending with her. She knows that I love them so much, so she had to force herself not to eat them and sometimes starve herself of those foods, and mind you, this girl doesn't have much money on her, and you know what it means to be a serving corper in Nigeria (receiving a penny monthly).
I was so moved to tears because a friend would make this type of sacrifice for me?… It was really surprising for me, and when I told her why she would do this kind of thing, her reply was so heartwarming; she said that if it was you, you would have done the same thing for me. I hugged her and thanked her for being a wonderful friend.
My Darling Friend... She is also my Namesake
Sometimes, lessons are not just about fixing mistakes; they are also about learning from a behaviour that is positive, which encourages you to continue to do good to other people, and from my experience, I got that reciprocity is just a lubricant that eases relationships, allowing them to be in sync, and also, it's a gentle reminder that my efforts are being acknowledged.
I appreciate you for taking the time to read and engage with my post, also for your upvotes.
See you in the next one.
All images are mine.