Behind the Camera.

I don't know who may feel this but it's been put in my heart to write it. How you ever lived your life on the fringes of someone else's? Loving them in the background? Being the person who takes their snapshots, never being invited to be a part of the picture?

I was actually on one of my social media sites looking at pictures that a friend had posted recently. There were some that I will never get credit for having taken. The thought even occurs to me that they are photos that my friend probably does not remember how they acquired. To me, this is symbolic of the nature of our relationship.

I am the unheralded substance and foundation. I am the unsung hero. I am the unacknowledged partner. The sad thing in this is probably not what you are thinking. More than likely you are reading this feeling bad for me because of the roles that I have assumed. You shouldn't though! You should feel bad for my friend who has yet to understand what love actually is and who their allies are. My friend has not yet learned who is worth their investment and commitment. Sadder still is what my friend will experience when there is no one behind the camera any longer.

It amazes me how people like my friend approach their relationships as a series of free passes, clean slates and do overs. The truth of the matter is that eventually people grow tired of standing on the fringes of the lives of others. They soon find that life is better served by getting from behind the camera and stepping into the spotlight.

Life can be a lonely place for those who have not learned to value and treasure true friendship. One day you look up and realize that there is no one left to turn to. After you have used everyone up, you come to understand that perhaps it was not so much an inconvenience to give someone your last because they were in your corner when you had nothing to give. You begin to understand, when no one comes to your aid, that the cost of selfishness is that you will be left by yourself. No one in life ever gets anywhere worth noting alone. We all need each other.

Who is consistently standing behind the camera in your life? It might be time to make sure that they are in just as many pictures as they have taken.