I was chatting with my sister last night and she was telling what a good day she had because her best friend visited. She said she was down but her best friend cheered up her sadness. While she was talking to me I was thinking what a good best friend she had and how a friend like that makes you smile. Knowing my sister’s best friend, I was thinking about some of the people in my life wondering who would they consider their best friends.
Who do you consider your best friend?
Reflective on my life, I created a mental list, I recognized how blessed I was to have so many awesome friends. As I thought deeper however, I realized another list of some very special friends. The people I would call my best friends.
I hope you know the type of friend I am talking about.
It the person who really knows you all around. They know you so well they can complete your thoughts or respond before you even ask. It is the person who is the always with you in the dark or in the sunshine. This friend is the person you get really excited to talk to and catch up on all parts of your life. The are the friends you go to when your life is not going so well. They listen and love you unconditionally but also challenge you to improve your weaknesses. They are the people in your life who accept you as you are.
It would be hard to imagine a life where you felt completely alone and unsupported. Honestly, I am unsure if there are people in this world who don’t experience this type of relationship. I was trying to understand if there was any explanation about this type of friendship that was a fitting description. When reading I found two Gaelic words that seem to perfectly describe the this type of friendship. Anam is the Gaelic word for soul and Cara is the word for friend.
Anam Cara means soul friend.
My understanding is that in a Celtic tradition an Anam Cara is a teacher, a companion or spiritual guide. Your Anam Cara is the person who you can share your innermost self to and reveal the hidden intimacies of your life, your mind and your heart.
Anam Cara means “Soul Friend.” Anam is the Gaelic word for soul and Cara is the word for friend. In Celtic tradition, an Anam Cara is a teacher, companion or spiritual guide. With the Anam Cara you can share your innermost self. This friendship cuts across all convention to create an act of recognition and belonging that joins souls in an ancient and eternal way.
In everyone’s life, there is a great need for an Anam Cara, a soul friend. In this relationship, you are understood as you are, without mask or pretension. When you are understood, you are at home. Through the lens of unconditional love of your Anam Cara you see yourself differently and you are able to grow in ways you never thought possible. While sometimes we are unable to understand ourselves because we have become diluted or blind, the great gift of this friendship is insight. As a result of their reaction you look and understand differently transforming your way in the world.
Your Anam Cara is a loved one who stretches you to dream beyond your wildest potential. They are the person left in your life when everyone else has given up on you.
Is easy to say that what “Make Me Smile.” are the few very special soul friends in my life.
TEMENOS CIRCLE 