Helpful: [help-fuh l] adjective
1.giving or rendering aid or assistance; of service:
Remember that great song With A Little Help From My Friends from the Beatles? Its a question and answer type of song that reminds us how much better life can be when you have a little help from those you call friends. Friends are the family we choose and just like any good family member, they show up and help you when you need it.
Friendship is a vital part of our lives and helpful friends make the best of friends. Think of all the books, shows and songs you’ve read, seen and heard. Friendship is often a prominent subject and the strongest and best friendships have the friends helping each other through the ups and downs. If you are wondering if you are a helpful friend Marissa Levin, writing for www.inc.com, gives us a few steps to follow to make sure we are a “Perfectly Helpful Friend.
1. Establish yourself as a safe place for your friend in need. My friend was 100% present, and expressed to me that I was their only focus and priority.
2. Listen carefully. My friend really heard me. They heard the said and the unsaid. They heard both my words and my emotions. They understood my need to vent and to be unfiltered, and they honored that.
3. Show respect. My friend didn't try to minimize or invalidate my feelings. They were respectful throughout our conversation, and didn't rush me.
4. Provide nonjudgmental perspective. My friend was non-judgmental and objective. They weren't a "yes" person, and helped me to see all sides of each issue. They provided clarity to my viewpoints, and helped me to use multiple lenses to see the situation. They approached my challenge from a place of logic, which diffused and neutralized my emotional position.
5. Provide valuable feedback and solutions when your friend is ready for them. My friend listened to my cues and conversation breakpoints. Then they asked if I was ready to listen and learn, which allowed us to transition well to a reversal of roles. We easily moved from my speaking/them listening to the other way around.
6. Maintain empathy and sincerity. During our entire conversation, it was apparent that my friend heard me and was concerned for me. Further, they sincerely reassured me that all would turn out well and "I would be great." I needed that reassurance, but I didn't realize I needed to hear it until my friend said it.
7. Make yourself available for future support. Before we wrapped up, my friend offered to be available if I wanted to convene a few advisers to solve this challenge in a group setting. They also checked in with me the next day to see how I was feeling about the situation and the guidance they provided.
About this block: I appliquéd this using a shadow appliqué technique. You can see how I did that on this video:
You can use contrasting or matching colors, each gives it's own effect
This is one of my favorite ways to appliqué. It's fast, and it has such a great vintage feel.
Happy sewing!
Amanda