I Am the Moon by Jina Wallwork
As the moon passes through the sky it reveals itself in different phases. There are times when we can see the moon as a whole and at other times, we receive a partial view. The same is true for the people we meet. We see a body and presume our view is complete, although we only have a superficial view. Every face is both a stranger and a friend. We are more than a face, nose, mouth and eyes. A person is not solely an outer shell. We are complex beings and it takes many moons to see a whole being. It takes time to see another in their different roles and understand their behavior. Over time you earn their trust and it encourages them to reveal more of their thoughts and feelings. It is a constant act of patience where we can never presume the process is complete. To believe that we see them completely is to believe that they have ceased to grow. A good friendship involves learning about another and respecting their growth. It is a relationship that evolves; the friendship grows with the people within it.
Friendship is a constant process and it is maintained through the understanding that people change over time; they will not always be the friend that you remember. The greatest of friendships allows for change and allows you to be yourself. It is a space that changes shape to adapt to each version of you, just as the sky accommodates the whole of the moon even when it reveals only a glimpse.
Friendships are heavily linked to the growth of those involved. When people evolve the friendship must also evolve in order to accommodate the change. If it remains the same it will fail. This is because it will no longer be a situation where you can be yourself. It will be restrictive and you will be pushed to fulfill a role that is an echo from the past. Great friendships last because we enjoy the process. We spend time together and we share our changes as they occur. Sometimes we must let go of a friendship because we no longer recognize ourselves in the perception of another. It is as though they could only see a piece of who we are. Over time the piece became smaller because they believed it was the whole. Like the moon we are always whole and yet, we are sometimes seen as only a piece. At times we express only pieces of ourselves and because of this we add to the confusion of others. Sometimes we have to let go of a friendship in order to find where we really belong. We always feel that we belong, when we are in a space where we can reveal our true selves. To occupy skies where we can be, the whole of the moon.
