Variety, the Spice of Life

"Variety's the very spice of life

That gives it all its flavor."

William Cowper  

According to Google's dictionary variety is:
1. The quality or state of being different or diverse; the absence of uniformity, sameness, or monotony.
2. A number or range of things of the same general class that are different or distinct in character or quality.

Friends and friendship have come up in conversations recently, and I hold to the belief that people ought to have a variety of friends, friendships, and relationships. Personally, I enjoy my varied assortment. As I sat at a four hour lunch yesterday catching up with a dear friend and former coworker from my Hallmark days, I smiled at how diverse and different Sandy and I are. Despite the diversity, we are good friends who can spend hours talking, listening, and sharing without realizing how long has passed. It doesn't matter that Sandy is forty years older than I (give or take a few) which puts us in diverse life stages, and it doesn't matter that we hold to different beliefs; in fact, our differences are what add, "the very spice of life."

I'm dumbfounded that so many people would choose to have their life flavored so blandly when they could live a life filled with delicious and varied flavors. Instead of eating the same meal with the same flavors repeatedly, you eat to enjoy. You eat to expand your horizons, your taste-buds, to become a more well-rounded person. You're not afraid to give the varied people a chance because you know that each spice brings a different flavor. Some flavors take time getting accustomed to, others you like right away and become a staple in all of your cooking, others you can take only in small batches, others are precious and are saved for special occasions. Regardless, you're always incorporating and adding a variety of spices. And you're always trying new ones. Add some flavor to your life and have a variety of friends, friendships, and relationships.