Does It Really Matter Who Is Right?

"Did you ever notice how difficult it is to argue with someone who is not obsessed with being right?" -- Wayne Dyer

Many years ago I had a struggle with a roommate over the silliest thing. We lived in an apartment with a mailroom and one key per apartment. My roommate had put the key on her ring and would check the mail when she got home from work each day. That bothered me and I would get so upset over the fact that I couldn’t get my mail when I wanted to, which was when I got home from work about an hour before my roommate. The logical solution I thought would be leaving the key in the apartment so that who ever got home first could get their mail. It did mean an extra trip back up the stairs and out to the mailroom. She was not open to this suggestion and slapped the key down on the table. This “problem” bothered me so much that I would even call home about it. Seems so silly now of course. On one occasion when I was complaining to my mother about it she asked if being right (not that there was a right or wrong answer necessarily here) was more important that our friendship. She said if it was, then by all means fight for it. It quickly put things into perspective and I realized if it was that important for my roommate to carry the mail key, then I could wait an hour for my mail. In any argument we need to ask ourselves if it is more important to be right than to keep the peace and keep a relationship. In most cases I am sure we will find that there isn’t really one person who is absolutely right. From your perspective and from their perspective there are often two right answers.

Abundance in Our Friendships

Think about the times in your life when you’ve really needed your friends. I know for me they have rallied around in times of tragedy but they are also there to celebrate occasions big and small. I remember as a little girl in Brownies we would sing this song, “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” I don’t think that there is ever a time when we can’t make room for a new friend. As we go through experiences together, they grow not only in value to your life but bring richness and abundance to all of its individual experiences. There are different friends I call upon at different times. Some come through when least expected. The kind of friends I treasure most are the ones where even if we have not spoken or seen each other in a long time, we can pick right up where we left off. Then there are the friends that are there everyday that we may sometimes take for granted. As I reflect on all of my friends I recognize the blessing in having many who understand me and are there for me at just the right times. They know when to step in and when to step back and let me figure things out on my own, always there to listen with openness and understanding when I’m ready to talk. Friends don’t only come through in the difficult times but are also there to make the going a little easier day in and day out.