The Day I Realized That Friendships Need Space

One day, while walking around my house, I overheard a story that caught my attention. It was about two friends — best friends — whose relationship had taken an unexpected turn. I wondered where it was coming from, so I searched around and found out it was coming from my dad’s phone. He was listening to a YouTube podcast.

Since it was about friendship, I thought it would be nice to listen while I continued my tasks. The story went something like this:

Once upon a time, in a small village, two best friends shared a strong bond from childhood. They enjoyed many happy years together. But one day, life took them on different paths as they pursued their studies. Time went by, and after several years, one friend got married and settled in a lovely town. Meanwhile, the other friend also found a job in the same town. He had no home or steady food. But his company paid for his hotel. He made use of the quarters provided by the company for his meals and rest.

On one fine day, after several months of staying in the same city, he got to see his friend (a married guy). This married guy took the initiative and spoke with his friend. He asked what he was doing, where he was staying, and how long he had been there. The friend answered all his questions. He invited his friend, an employee, to lunch at his house. He asked him to come over for meals often.

He agreed, though reluctantly. The next day, he ate with his friend. He introduced his friend to his wife. Soon, he noticed his friend’s wife. She was serious while serving food. Not a smile appeared on her face. This made him decide to stop visiting daily. He had often eaten there. His visits came to an end.

He asked his wife about him. She said, “I don’t know why.” He wondered why the man was visiting. Days later, they met. He asked, “Why don’t you come to have food?” The man gave several reasons, but they didn’t match up. He asked again. Then, he said his wife’s serious attitude during visits was the reason.

After hearing this, he paused for two seconds and then laughed. Then he said, “She’s a receptionist. She smiles all day with customers. To relax, she gets serious at home. So, don’t take it to heart.”

The moral?

Everyone deserves a little time to relax, whether they're at work or at home.