Friendship isn’t fifty-fifty every week. What matters is whether it evens out over a year.

GRATITUDE

WHAT THIS MEANS

Measuring a friendship by the week produces a false result. Any given month will be lopsided, because one of you has exams, a bad stretch or a new job while the other carries more of the contact, and that is the arrangement working rather than failing. The right unit of time is much longer. Over a year you can see whether both people take turns.

If you feel like you are doing all the reaching, check the year rather than the fortnight before you decide anything. Look at your own ledger too, since there was probably a season when they carried you.

A QUESTION TO SIT WITH

Which of your friendships looks uneven weekly but even yearly?

MORE IN TRUST, LOYALTY & RELATIONSHIPS

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