"A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature."
RW Emmerson
There seems to be a recurring theme of friendship in photogrpahy and fashion right now with many editorials exhibiting this girly nature and BFF kind of vibes and I am loving every moment of it.
I believe that we have friends that fullfill our lives in different ways. Perhaps this trend is a result of some kind of subliminal messages advertizing the second Sex and the City movie, coming out at the end of the month. Regardless of the trend's origin, I am enjpying this movmement and aparent shift away from the power of romance to that of friendship. Not too get too girly or cliche, but speaking in light of Sex and the City, the best scene to me, was when Carrie gets stood up on her wedding day and the way in which her friends protect her and care for her (more specifically, when Charlotte screams at Big before hopping into the limo with Carrie) gives me the chills. No, not because of Charlotte's stunning gown, but because there is truly, as there is no comparison to that of romantic love, no describable adjactive or group of words to describe the beauty and essence of the bond of a true frienship. I feel that it is so often overlooked and underrocognzed in the arts, literatures, and even film. No one is perfect, but the complimentary personalities and characterisitics combine to enrich our lives in so many ways and shape us as who we are and what we are interested in as invididuals, in the best way possible. We can all think of a friend whom perhaps has some undersirable qualities that annoy us, but we love them still due to their positive qualities that make us love them so much and add to our lives.
via weheartit, ellen rogers, jeff luker, and knighttcat
its cool, we can just be friends.
After reading one of Emmerson's essays on the power and bond of friendship, I came to the realization that too often, the magical partnership of a solid friendship is overlooked, under-desrcibed, and inevitably left out of good literature and thematic art. The partnership and explosive nature of a romantic bond, or love, is almost seemingly over-referenced in our culture and in literarute (I am much too guilty of this). Perhaps this is because of the polarities of passion that many experence when in love with someone. In my experience anyway, the opposite extremes of joy and misery have seemed to overcome me when in love with someone romatically. However, I feel so fortunate to have three close, or best, friends whom I sometimes feel as though I am "in love," with. This is not to say, that I want to be with them exclusively or romantically, but I just enjoy the time spent with them so much and value our solidified bond more than anything else in the world. I feel that I am far under greatful for the beauty that my friends have showed me and all the wonderful things I have been introduced to by them. Not to mention, the collection of colorful memories that with them, I have embedded in my mind and heart forever.
I truly do feel so fortunate to have my friends in my life. Each of them add to my life in a different way, making me more of who I am, I suppose, and making me a better person than I feel I would be without them. I suppose that I have always ackowledged this to some extent, but to the fullest amount that I should, considering how lucky I am.
From Emmerson's Friendship Essay:
The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.(adapted)
"A single soul dwelling in two bodies."
-Aristotle
(this one's for GK)
A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud."
-Emmerson
