The Golden Girls have been my favorite show for as long as I can remember. The friendship between all of the ladies is something that I have always wanted for myself and yet I don't feel like I've ever been able to find it. I don't know how to be someones' friend and at the age of 25 it feels a bit late in the game to learn.
However, I am trying.
As a child, I had friends but as I grew to be a teenager I found myself alone. I buried myself in books and found my friends in their pages. Something that I don't talk about very much is my brother's Autism. Despite it not being something that I talk about, it is something that has greatly shaped the person that I turned out to be. I couldn't love him more and growing up his sister was a blessing to me in many ways. I loved playing games with him as a kid, I loved looking out for him, and he's a great, funny, guy. My brother is five years younger than me and for a large part of my childhood I took care of him. I remember when my mother was working two jobs and at the age of 11 it was my responsibility to bathe him, get him ready for school, wait for his bus to come and then run as fast as possible to my school a few streets over hoping not to be late.
This turned me into a caregiver which has been a blessing to me.
I spent a lot of my summers with my brother in daycares for special needs children. Not being special needs myself, this again put me into the role of caregiver. My friends were children with Down Syndrome or severe physical or mental disabilities. I grew up feeling like a mini-adult and I didn't mind. I felt useful and that was a good feeling. Now that I'm older I wish I'd had time to be more of a kid, to have been comfortable enough to go to Prom or Graduation, to have gone to a party in high school. I wish for a "normal" childhood.
I am not normal.
I didn't have my first real friendship until I was nearly twenty and I had no idea how to be a good friend. I still don't and it's a struggle that a lot of people don't understand. If someone needs taken care of I can do that. If someone needs cheering up I'm happy to oblige. I don't really know my role outside of that. It's hard for me to open up and ask for help or advice. It's hard for me to be comfortable going to the movies or hanging out because I feel so out of place.
On the opposite side, when I do let that guard down to become close with someone, I become very clingy and selfish. This had led to the deterioration of a lot of my close friendships which leaves me feeling even more uncomfortable about friendship in general.
Right now I'm trying to be gentle with myself and gentle with my progress. I've been working on my friendships, trying to be supportive, trying to give others their space, and not making everything about me and my feelings. I am not a lost cause! I'm determined to be someone that anyone would be proud to be friends with. Patience, dedication, and heart, I believe almost anything can be accomplished with those three things.
Thank you for taking the time to read this rambling post. Any advice or wise words would of course be appreciated!
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