Are Your Friends Golden?

I believe it was Plato who wrote in "The Republic" about the various categories of citizens that inhabit a society. He classified them as Gold, Silver and Copper. Each citizen had a place and responsibility towards the good of society.The people who come into our lives that we call "friends" fit well into this descriptive category.

The Copper Friends are those friends with whom you enjoy talking to from time to time and see on occasion. You may share a hobby or interest in common or have met them at work or a social event. They may even be a friend of one of your friends. You enjoy their company, have something in common and consider them nice people to be with. You may hang out in a crowd with them but probably will do little one on one with them only because outside of one or two commonalties there is no other deep level commitment possible as there would be too many differences.

The Silver Friends are those friends that share common interests with you and may be in agreement with you on a deeper level on more than one thing. For example I could safely say that pretty much all Democrats would make it into the Copper level in my life (LOL) but outside of the political arena we may not have that much in common. However because we share a similar political ideology there is a little deeper level of "understanding" that we have and so from there I may find we resonate on some other issues. These are people who would be fun to have dinner parties with and engage in all kinds of meaty topics (pun intended) They are the ones you will socialize with quite a bit more than the coppers and when you are together the flow of energy is quite fun and light. They feel good to be around. If you are in a bind and need help, you can count on them for the most part.

The Gold People are the rare few who come into your life. Over your lifetime you will not know more than 5 in all probability. Perhaps a few more if soul awareness occurs at an early age. The gold people possess all the qualities of the silver people and so much more. The level of understanding between the golds is on the soul level. There is an understanding of the other that does not need to be explained. You have much in common on the higher plane so reading each other's mind is a natural occurrence. Gold people have an innate ability to accept each other for all the other is so once communication styles are understood, the energy level flows like no other. Gold people can be counted on to be there anytime. They are the ones with whom you can share the true struggles of spirit as well as the more mundane annoyances of ego. You really CAN call these people at 3 in the morning because chances are they are awake anyway. LOL They will not only always have your back, they will value your soul. This is a mutual thing between you. Together you can have totally honest communication and not only be understood, but learn something as well. You can trust the bond enough that you can bare your secrets and know there will be comfort and help from the other. Chances are they already are aware of most of them anyway. These people are the "family" members of your soul tribe. These are your soul mates and soul friends.

Take care not to lose the gold friends out of complacency, feeling that they will always be there because you are "family." They cannot be easily replaced. Even though gold are the rarest of all, the bond is still human and can fade out of neglect. Because of the connection you share you can always get reconnected of course, but there is risk that the ego just won't want to take the hit again.

Whether gold, silver or copper, each person is a treasure and should be treated as such. Setting priorities is crucial when it comes to the people we value. Letting them know you have them in mind is important as well. By putting ourselves outside of our own concerns we can become more generous caring beings. Once we exhibit true caring for our treasured friends, we can extend this out to our community and world beyond us.