Friendship. A word so sacred, yet so lonely. A word so sweet, yet so bitter. A word that is difficult to describe, yet easy to feel.
You know, it's hard to say who your friends really are. Not because they lied to you or weren't there for you, but because friendship is more than just a simple condition. A simple bond. A simple harmony.
Friendship is what makes wine water. And water wine.
Without it, life becomes bland and boring. With it, life is filled with meaning and you can do many things. Excessive friendship? It can take you away from your dreams. But certainly not in the way we think of it when we go out for a drink...
And yet, as sacred as friendship is, really, how many people with special needs have friends?
Do they have friends at the centers they go to? Do they have friends among their teachers, caregivers, and peers at special schools? Of course.
Do they have friends in the programs they attend and in everything they do for themselves every day? Yes. But, my friend, how many of these people have real friends?
Show me people with depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other illnesses who have many friends, even if they are not fully "functional," and I will tell you that you have hit the nail on the head.
Show me people who struggle with their mental health, who can't keep their promises, take a shower, or even get ready to leave the house, and I'll say, "There, those people..."
Why?
Why do we exclude these people? Why do we say "them" and not "all of us"? Why do we marginalize them? Why do we stigmatize them, and when they finally find the strength to speak up, we say it's taboo and leave them on the sidelines?
And of course, this doesn't just apply to people with mental illness. It also applies to people who are overweight, have fewer soft skills than average, or have special skills. Why?
It is our duty as "normal" people to act, without reacting, and to help all people experience friendship. Love. Joy. Harmony. Because believe me, there are many people, alone at home, waiting for a helping hand while fighting their worst demons. "Do good and throw it in the glass," as we say in Greece.
Perhaps, in the end, we need more good deeds and more friendships.
As a conclusion, I cite you song that shows how the "Dance of Insecurity" is ultimately better than all the rest...