The art of keeping a distance
My name is Li Yue, and I grew up in a loving family, with my father an artist and my mother a spiritual mentor. Under the influence of such a family, I learned to listen and understand from an early age, and I also understood that maintaining an appropriate "distance" in interpersonal relationships is an art.
In college, I met Lin Yi. He is like a bright star, especially shining in the crowd. We met by chance and quickly became good friends. We have spent many happy times together and shared the moments of life with each other. However, over time, I found that overly intimate relationships started to make some subtle changes in us.
Lin Yi is an enthusiastic person, he likes to be lively and like to socialize with people. I, on the other hand, prefer to think alone and enjoy quiet moments. We began to disagree over small things, and our opinions and habits began to clash with each other. I realized that we needed to give each other some space to be able to breathe.
So, I started trying to adjust my lifestyle. I began to pay more attention to my inner world and spend more time reading, writing, and meditating. I started looking for my hobby and joined the photography club at school, where I met a group of like-minded friends. These changes have allowed me to gradually regain my rhythm and make me more aware of my needs.
At the same time, I also began to pay attention to Lin Yi's changes. I found that he was also trying to adjust his lifestyle. He began to pay more attention to his inner needs, and no longer blindly pursued social and lively as before. He began to try out new hobbies, such as painting and guitar. These changes have also brought some subtle changes to our relationship.
We began to respect each other's choices and decisions more and stopped interfering in each other's lives as easily as we used to. We begin to pay more attention to each other's feelings and needs, rather than blindly pursuing our own satisfaction. We began to cherish our friendship with each other more and knew how to maintain an appropriate "distance".
However, it was an unexpected experience that really turned our relationship around.
It was a sunny weekend, and Lin Yi and I went to the countryside for a picnic. While enjoying the food and the beautiful scenery, we can't help but start talking about life and the future. During the chat, I mentioned that I recently joined a volunteer organization and participated in some public welfare activities. Lin Yi was very interested after hearing this, so he asked me if I could bring him with me.
I hesitated for a moment because the volunteer organization had high requirements for participants and required a certain level of professional skills and responsibility. I'm worried that Lin Yi will feel lost or embarrassed because he doesn't fit in. But looking at his expectant eyes, I decided to take him along to give it a try.
On that day, we participated in an environmental welfare activity together. We pick up garbage, plant trees, and educate about the environment...... Although the process was a bit hard, when we saw that the land we had cleared became clean and tidy, the joy and sense of accomplishment in our hearts came spontaneously. In the course of the event, Lin Yi also showed his talent and sense of responsibility. Not only is he actively involved in activities, but he also takes the initiative to help other volunteers solve problems. I was impressed by his performance and it made me believe in our friendship even more.
After the event, we sat together on the grass to rest and chat. I said to Lin Yi with emotion: "Thank you for accompanying me to this event today. I was worried that you wouldn't fit in. Lin Yi smiled and said, "Actually, I am also very grateful to you for giving me this opportunity." It has allowed me to see the wider world and made me more aware of my responsibilities and missions. ”
We looked at each other and smiled, and at that moment, I felt an unprecedented tacit understanding and trust. I realized that our relationship had moved beyond a simple friendship to a deeper emotional bond. And this bond is formed precisely because we have learned how to maintain the appropriate "distance" and give each other enough space to grow and change.
Since then, our relationship has become more harmonious and stable. We still hang out together, talk and share our lives, but we also give each other plenty of space to pursue our dreams and interests. We support and encourage each other to move forward together on each other's growth path.
This experience made me deeply realize the importance of keeping "distance". Proper "distance" in interpersonal relationships can not only make each other more independent and autonomous, but also make each other more cherished and grateful for each other's company and support. This kind of "distance" is not only an art, but also a kind of wisdom, but also a kind of respect and love for each other.