The Power of Friendship
It is very hard to believe that another Christmas is nearly upon me and us here at Face It. I suppose it is a bit of a cliche’, but with each passing year it seems as though time just seems to go faster and faster. At this time of year I find myself so compelled to slow down, take a deep breath, and try to reflect on what has happened over the course of the past 12 months. I am struck by many of the milestones we have surpassed here at Face It and I am very proud of the work we have done. But perhaps more than anything I am struck by the friendships that are beginning to grow out of our work.
So often when a man is dealing with depression he finds or more so he believes that he is alone in his fight. The idea that others will understand or care about him is lost and he retreats into a dark space to be alone in his fight. This isolation only serves to make him feel a greater level of despair and hopelessness. What Face It is doing, slowly but surely, is helping so many men begin to see and understand the power of having a friend who “gets it.” And Face It is teaching these guys that using that friend to lean on is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of courage because it takes courage to acknowledge that you’re struggling.
Just this past evening I had the chance to have dinner with 8 men who are part of one of our men’s groups. As I looked around the table I saw 8 very different men with 8 very different stories. The likelihood that these men would ever find reason to sit down, share a meal, talk about their relationships, explore their own fears, or just be in the presence of one another is zero if it weren’t for Face It. Sometimes in my own desire to take away people’s pain I want the “homerun” if you will where as if in an instant a man can figure it out and be good to go. That is not reality, but what is real is that the power of a caring friendship brings a tremendous amount of healing and support. Through the support of ALL of you that is what Face It continues to do, create a place for friendships to grow and thrive!
Take care and Merry Christmas!
Mark