True Friendship is the Boundless Gift of Ourselves to Others

Embark on the December writing challenge on Engage as we celebrate the magic of Christmas

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The aphorism in the title is my translation of the words of my beloved author, Vergílio Ferreira.

The Portuguese novelist was a master of the written word, and his books are among the most insightful works I have ever read.

Ferreira wrote in his 1992 essay, Pensar (To Think).

Love destroys. Friendship builds.

To fully understand what Ferreira is saying here, you’ll have to look at the bigger picture to consider his existentialist stance in life. In Conta-Corrente 3 (Current Account 3), the author writes:

When you give two kisses, it’s a sign of friendship; but when you love someone, you give only one. Love is exclusive. Or, one might say, centripetal…

This reminds me of how the holiday season wraps up shared moments in the story of our lives where pages are filled with the glimmer of friendship.

As winter’s chill settles, so too does a comforting familiarity. It’s truly the best time of the year, as we let the glow of Christmas open our hearts a little wider, making room for those who have been with us through the seasons of life.

When December arrives on my doorstep, I also recall a saying by another Portuguese author, Miguel Torga:

“I won’t give up being a child. That’s what keeps me going.”

My childhood dreams are filled with tokens and mementos of joy and affection that continue to shine, thanks to the magic of Christmas.

In these days leading up to Christmas, I want you to let your heart be filled with the joy of meeting those who enrich our lives.

Think of the holiday season as a path to reuniting with those who bring magic into your lives.

Open your heart to the joy of reuniting with someone you miss dearly for Christmas.

Through December, I challenge you to share with us your heartfelt stories from Christmas Past, as you reflect on the role of family and friends in your life.

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This month's prompt on engage is “Family and Friends.” We invite you to join the challenge by adding the tag “Engage Challenge” to your stories.

Christmas is so much more than a festivity; for me, it’s a feeling. It’s as much for the child in us as for the adult we have become.

It’s a time to “unfrost” our hearts with the joy of being close to the ones we love and to share the memories of bygone times.

There’s a poem that always speaks to my heart about the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of family and friends.

Christmas… It’s snowing in the countryside.
In cozy homes,
A feeling holds
The feelings of the past.
A heart opposed to the world,
How true family is!
My thoughts are deep,
I’m alone, and I dream of longing.
And how white with grace
The landscape, I don’t know,
Seen from behind the windowpane
Of the home I’ll never have!

— Translated by the author

I wish that no one would ever feel as lonely as Fernando Pessoa describes in his poem. Please join us in lighting up the hearts of readers across the world.

Below, you’ll find stories from our latest challenges. All of the stories are accessible via “Friend Link” as I have upgraded my membership level to “Friend of Medium” (this is how to level up).

This was the main reason why I decided to upgrade to a pricier membership tier; as a publication owner, I wanted to help Engage writers get paid from non-member reads.

Dreams Kill Fears:

• We Can Be the First To Try Something That Hasn’t Been Done — Joy DeSomber
• We Won! by Susan Wheelock
• Focus on Your Dreams, Not Your Fears — Rosa Diaz-Casal
• Dreams Kill Fears — Melody

Fears Kill Dreams:

• Fear What! — Annelise Lords
• When Fears Kill Dreams — Stephen Dalton
• The Fear Of Success Is Real — Susan Wheelock
• Flipping the Tables on My Fear — Trisha Faye
• One’s Deepest Fear Should Be Jailed In The Basement —
  Joel R. Dennstedt
• Fears of a Single Introvert in her Sixties — Rosa Diaz-Casal

This is the best time of the year here at Engage. Therefore, we have revamped our mission statement to bring you even more into the limelight. Please check out the latest issues of our newsletter to stay updated.

We look forward to reading your lovely stories, dear friends:

Alexander Razin, Mario López-Goicoechea, Ph.D. Ahmet Akusta, Alasdair Perry, Alicia Domínguez, Allison King, Ana Writes, Andre Begin, Anne Skyvington, Anne Bonfert, Annie Trevaskis, Amarie Malone 💖, Barbara Carter, Ben Ulansey, B.R. Shenoy, Every Day Life Improvement, Carol Townend, Alex Markham, Carlo Zeno, Caroline de Braganza, Carolyn Hastings, Surekha Chandrasekhar, Shanti C K, Charles McDonald, Claire Franky, Colleen Millsteed, Colleen Sheehy Orme, Connie Song, Coyote Susan, Dan Hanley, David J. Elrod, Debbie Walker, Deb Palmer, dani herrera, Dennis De Silva, Antonio Segovia, MD., Edward Swafford, Edith Gallagher Boyd, Elena Greyrock, Ella de Jong, Brandon Ellrich, Yve Anmore-Engaging Journo, Javad, Fildy Bejaoui, Floyd Mori, Geoo, Chrissy Cordingley, GOBeast, Gochi Ez, Godsgift O. A., Grace Mary Power, Isa Nan, Larenzo,, Denis Gorbunov, Henry India Holden💖, Henya Drescher, Hermione Wilds Writes, H. K. Tongco, Jen Mouzon, Imi is typing..., Kat Medium, Ivan Cheresharski, Jacqui Smith, Janet Daniels-Thomas, Jowii Press, Jeloze Ali, Jenna Tidd, Jerry Odogwu, Jan Sebastian 🖐👩‍🦰, Jean Meunier-Pion, Joel R. Dennstedt, Joy DeSomber, June Kirri, Justin Ohms, Karina Pawlak, Kathleen Murphy, Kathy Copeland Padden, Keith Strohm, Kim McKinney, Krishna V Chaudhary, Christie Sausa, Lee Travathan, Leo Rule, Lisa S. Gerard, Maggy Elsousou, Malky McEwan, Manan Modi, Mandy Fard, Margie Pearl, Maria Rattray, Marmotian, Cappelli, MFA, JD, PhD, Mary DeVries, May Y. Yang, Avanthi Nadesan, Melody, Michael Swengel, Mike Lewis, *Missy*, Maeve Keenan, Mukundarajan V N, Mystical Aries, Nada Badran, Natalie,Neha Sonney, Speaker, Nicole Akers,Nicole Hilbig, Øivind H. Solheim, Paige Patrick M. Ohana, Paul, Rick Allen, Prateek Masali, Prateek Dasgupta, Dr. Preeti Singh, Quinton Sheppard, Word Witch, Michael Rhodes, Rosa Diaz-Casal, Saanvi Thapar, Sam Letterwood, Sandra Afonso, Sandy A Lane, Dr. Seema Patel (PhD), S. G. S. Abel, Alecia Kennedy, Som Dutt, John Mann, Ștefan Pleșca, Stephen Dalton, Subhi Najar, Sudha Chandran B C, Sunny Abe, Susan Wheelock, Susi Moore, Tarana Chauhan, Terry Day, Teresa Heffernan, Trisha Faye, Dr. E.R. Báez, Nathan Chen, Blessing.Aboh, Annelise Lords, Tim Ebl, Theodore McDowell, Tom Handy, Toni Crowe, Toya Qualls-Barnette, Unni Panicker, Riccardo Valle, Vera-Marie Landi, Martin Von Mars, Wahyuni Sapri, Sam W.