The Colors of Friendship

 Friendship is a work of art. It's many nuances show like a fine masterpiece carefully crafted with a myriad of colors blending into a beautiful display that all the world admires. I confess that I am wholy inadequate to paint this in words that will give a proper perspective.

Green is a symbol of growth. I think of green leaves, green grass, green rice stalks. When my family and I lived in Cambodia, I used to love driving down the highway in the rainy season. This is because everything was so green. It all looked fresh and alive. A close, intimate friendship is like that. Through constant contact and interaction the relationship blossoms and grows. It is fresh and alive, appealing to all five senses.

Red is the color of blood which is a symbol of self-sacrifice. Chief among the characteristics of true friendship is self-sacrifice. If you want another person to draw intimately close to you, then you need to be interested in them. This means putting the interest of others before your own interests.

Jesus said, "A greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for a friend." If we want to make and continue in loving friendships, we will go the extra mile not because we have to but because the other person is worth it.

Even though a friendship is mostly characterized by being fresh and alive, this does not mean that it will not go through times of struggle. There is a Cambodian proverb that indicates that two people are not truly friends if the relationship has never encountered conflict. Conflict is a normal part of life. True friends know how to negotiate conflict and more than that they realize the relationship is more important than winning a petty argument.

to me, the color orange symbolizes passion. Orange is bright and energetic like passion. Intimate friends are passionate about their relationship. They love being together and even when they encounter conflict they are intensely loyal to each other. Being loyal means that in the midst of a controversy a true friend never belittles the other in mixed company. Furthermore, when another person begins to bad mouth your friend, you will be quick to come to their defense. Stephen Covey calls this being loyal to the person not present. Strong friendships are characterized by passion and loyalty.

To me, the color blue is a symbol of eternity. Like the blue sky above, it extends beyond where I can ever see. Truly intimate relationships are forever. They last a lifetime. They weather the storms of personality and self-interest to walk hand-in-hand until their life journeys come to an end.

Friendship is a wonderful gift from God; a masterpiece characterized by a full array of color. This hub has attempted identify some of the colors associated with friendship.