Personal Sacrifices For Better Friendships

[Case]

I am a life-long fan of the Los Angeles Kings hockey team. Tomorrow, they will be playing Game 7 of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's a "best of seven" series, so tomorrow is the final game of that matchup. Either the Kings win the series and move on to the Conference Finals, or the Kings pack up and go home.

So, would a life-long fan of a sports team consciously choose to not watch that game? In this case, the answer is yes.

Call it absent-mindedness. Call it picking my priorities carefully. However you choose to define it, I have decided to do something else tomorrow. Now, what on Earth would pry me away from such an important sporting event in my life? Simple... friendship.

I was just invited for dinner and board games by some good friends, and I accepted before I realized that the dinner is at the same time as the Kings game tomorrow. So, instead of watching the most important game in the Kings' season up to now, I will be with people I truly care about.

Oh, the fan inside of me is screaming at me to cancel the dinner so I can watch the game, but there's no going back. When I realized I'd be missing the game, I made a conscious decision to be okay with that. So, I'll be spending time with people who are far more important to me than watching a sporting event on TV. And so, I believe I made the right choice.

Now, the question I put to you is this: What have you been willing to give up in order be with the friends that you care about the most?

 

[sk66rc]

I'm not sure what type of phone you have but couldn't you at least keep up with the score? I know there are some apps out there that lets you see the scores for every major sports events... I don't have a smart phone but I do have an iPad & ESPN has an app that lets you do exactly that, watch for scores... Being that I'm not much of sports fan, I can't say giving up watching a sporting event is all that important to me...

With that said, I've given up few things to hang out with a friend of mine few times... Mom's birthday dinner for one... Few years back, I had to work on mom's birthday & her dinner was at 7 pm... I got off from work at 8... It was at my sister's house & if I hurried, I probably could've made a part of it... Middle of the day, a buddy of mine was going through some rough time & he needed a night out... I called my mom at my sister's house, she was already there, & told her I couldn't make it because I was going to see a friend... She understood... Another time, I've given up entire week of my vacation to help a friend out because he has gotten into an accident the first day my vacation started... I ended up lending him my car & he would stop by after his work, pick me up & we would hang out... Then drop me off at my house & go home in my car so he could go to work the next day... That went on for a week...

 

[Case]

I'm not sure what type of phone you have but couldn't you at least keep up with the score?

Oh, the game will probably be on in another room of the house, but I'll be busy with friends. The score will be known to me, and the result of the game will also be known to me, but I will not be watching. Besides, I think it would be rude to constantly check the score when I want to catch up with friends.

Thanks for sharing. It's good that your Mom understood you missing her birthday. Some parents wouldn't be that understanding.

 

[sk66rc]

It's good that your Mom understood you missing her birthday. Some parents wouldn't be that understanding.

Ehhh... She's used to it by now...

 

[Tiina63]

Have you got catch up TV so that you can watch the game the following day? Maybe you could keep away from the room with the TV on, so that you don't find out the score beforehand.

 

[Jazzbird]

Now, the question I put to you is this: What have you been willing to give up in order be with the friends that you care about the most?

People.I gave up people.Lots of 'em.Was it worth it though? Definitely not.I cared for them but they never cared for me.

If you believe what you're doing is right than it probably is right.

Kudos to you man!

Besides you can be with your friends and still keep up with the game =D

 

[Case]

Have you got catch up TV so that you can watch the game the following day? Maybe you could keep away from the room with the TV on, so that you don't find out the score beforehand.

That really isn't the point. The point is that I chose to sacrifice something I love for my friends. I won't be recording the game, and I won't be able to avoid the score at the house. I have made it a lower priority under the circumstances.

People.I gave up people.Lots of 'em.Was it worth it though? Definitely not.I cared for them but they never cared for me.

Sorry to hear that. But have you ever sacrificed for a friend and improved the friendship?

 

[Triple Bogey]

I would give up anything for my family. Wouldn't for my anybody else though !

 

[Jazzbird]

Sorry to hear that. But have you ever sacrificed for a friend and improved the friendship?

Yeah =D Not always but I managed to keep a friendship fresh for 11 years and it's as good as it was when we first met.We both made sacrifices.

I found that if people don't want something,you doing it won't change anything.Relationships are two way roads and I realized if it's just me making the sacrifices it won't work.

I'd say the biggest sacrifice we've made with my best friend was not seeing each other for a few years.We kinda gave up on each other When we came back things were much better than they ever were.

 

[Case]

UPDATE: The L.A. Kings defeated the Anaheim Ducks to advance to the Western Conference Finals last night, and I didn't watch any of it. I'm glad they advanced, but I'm more happy that I was able to be there with my friends without this distraction. It worked out wonderfully.

Now, back to regular programming.

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I found that if people don't want something,you doing it won't change anything.Relationships are two way roads and I realized if it's just me making the sacrifices it won't work.

You hit the nail on the head, Jazzbird. It would be meaningless if I felt my friends were not worthy of this sacrifice. They are a bit like my adopted family. My biological family is either estranged or distant, so this family has embraced me for about eight or nine years as one of their own, and I've never felt anything but acceptance and love from them. I wish I could bottle their good will and positive spirit into a pill and take it every day because when I'm around them, I feel welcome, happy, playful, and very much like myself again.

But I know what you mean about the effort coming from only you. We need balance in our sacrifices, and if only one person does it, then the other is a taker and not a giver and if someone worth avoiding.

 

[Elona]

Case, I wish I had such an awesome friend like you!