Happy International Friendship Day!
by Susie Stewart
Today is International Friendship Day but before yesterday, I didn’t even know this was a thing. What a great idea! Is there anything better than taking a day to recognize such an important part of our lives? This is more than a card store holiday. This has the power to create change.
In 2011, the United Nations proclaimed that July 30th be recognized as International Day of Friendship. The United Nations believes that through the spirit of community, or friendship, we can challenge the forces that divide us and build a better world for all. They encourage all of us, through our governments and international and local groups, to engage in events on July 30th to bring awareness, conversation, and action to bridge the gaps that keep us apart.
Such a simple concept. Make connections, build understanding, find solutions, create change. And it all starts with connections! I think if we compare this to how we interact with people we can understand how the United Nations hopes to achieve this goal.
Meeting people is a joy for me and as a result, I have made lots of friends through my childhood, university, work, parenting, and my neighbourhood. I am very privileged to be called a friend by some remarkable people, in my opinion. We don’t always see eye to eye, in fact sometimes we argue but we resolve our differences. Sometimes it is by looking from the others perspective. Sometimes we alter our own behaviour or change expectations. Sometimes it is by just listening. And through these friendships, we have made changes that make us and our community stronger. We fundraise for schools and charities, we create programs in our community that serve others, we fight cancer together, we are advocates for each other, we get educated, we volunteer, we vote, we get things done.
I did not know anything about International Friendship Day and probably like many of you, was just looking forward to a regular Friday, possibly seeing some family or friends after a busy week. This year, I will not be attending an event or mobilizing my government, but I will be reflecting on what I can do to be a bigger part of this magnificent goal. Imagine if we all did that. By 2022, anything could be possible.