Companionship

Ambrosia: As you grow in spiritual understanding and in unselfish devotion to serving one another and all others whom you encounter, you are increasing in the quality and practice of love.

Personality interaction is the most fundamental satisfaction of existence, both mortal, for the soul, and spiritual. In your personality status you are most closely aligned with the image of God, for this is how God has created all of us according to the perfect pattern of personality manifest in the Eternal Son. You are learning to be companionate with each other, to express the pleasure of simply being in the presence and interacting with another person with no ulterior motives or manipulative devices.

To be a companion is to simply be present with another person. It does not involve the obligation of teaching. It does not require salesmanship on your part. It does not require obligatory service either. True,
companionship is not the sum total of interpersonal relationships but it is one very lovely aspect which is lacking in the hubbub of your materialistic, rushing to judgement, preoccupied state of affairs. In some ways simpler cultures have more wisdom for they have placed more value in being companions to each other. It is this lack which damages families and which is so sorely needed between parents and children and between siblings as well; and also between the original couple, husband and wife.  

You see, in eternity's view it is these kinds of relationships which have such lasting value. Yes, work is important and teamwork and groupings to accomplish objectives are yet a very important part of interpersonal relations. But the flavor of a group is so greatly enhanced by the element, by the substance of the companionship provided therein.  

Your companionship with the First Source and Center through your Thought Controller is your most intimate experience and someday you will achieve perfect completion of that companionship in fusion experience. You will be the vehicle of personality for your Thought Controller and your Thought Controller will give you the dimension of eternity. Together you will fuse and become one even as our Creator Son in his divinity is one with his humanity.  

Great and wonderful are the purposes of God in His decision to create time and space. Those of us who are of finite status continually learn new and greater understanding of the great heart of love which beats the pulse of the universe. 

There is a distinction to be made about companionability and teamwork as representing two different kinds of interrelationships. Many people choose their life partners on the basis of compatibility of interests and just "doing" things together. Certainly, this is not to be faulted, for there is an inherent value in this kind of interrelationship.

My observations are that men in particular define their essence in terms of their activities, although this is modifying somewhat lately, still males in particular think of themselves as teachers, construction workers,
golfers, fishermen, fathers, these sorts of activities define many men in their own minds. Similarly do women define their essence, although they see themselves more in the role of nurturance than production. But even the role of parents can be primarily a "doing" rather than "being" role, in many cultures.

Being in the same space but not interacting in sharing is not companionability. To be companionate in the sense that I was describing, means to be comfortable, relaxed, attentive, and interested in the other person, in their thoughts, in their feelings, and in their values. So companionship entails sharing ideas, certainly involves sharing values, and it also recognizes the domain of feelings as well. This sharing, in order to be companionate, needs to be non-judgmental. It needs to be non-competitive. It needs to proceed from
the inherent value assigned to that other person, the value of a faith son or daughter of God and therefore, a brother or sister. You see, even more fundamental in a marriage relationship than husband and wife, than lover, than co-parent, is the level of brother/sister, as children of one Parent. This ultimate, fundamental level gives final value to the person and to oneself so that these other levels of interaction are properly honored and appropriately framed. 

Nancy: Is silence, when someone is distracted, is this the opposite of companionable?

Ambrosia: That is true; for the silence indicates absence of presence.

Virginia: Is that always true?

Ambrosia: In someone who is distracted, yes. Now, silence may be a very comfortable thing. It can signal that there is no need to perform, to gain approval from the other person. It can take and enshroud a beautiful experience with a sort of holiness when both people are engaged in meditation as they view the panorama of some beautiful scene such as the grand canyon. It is only in the silence of a production orientated association with another person that embarrassment and discomfort develops, for then each person feels they are not doing their part in maintaining the conversation.

Lori: I find that now, with limited time because of ever increasing responsibilities, that I kind of grasp little moments of companionship with my friends, family, and children. Now I am questioning if it is one sided....and that's okay if it is for me, cause I get a great deal of joy from it, being even with my husband, children, or friends even when they are busy; I'm just there soaking it up and feeling completely like a
companion, offering to help or not, but still feeling some companionship, hanging out in their space while they zoom all around...whether it is in strict definition of what you, Ambrosia, were trying to convey..I don't know. For me, it does feel like true companionship, and a real break for me.

Ambrosia: Yes, I would agree that this is exactly what companionship is. It may be that their zooming around as you say, and occupying the same space with somebody does not mean you are not being a companion, for you are. When I made a distinction between the interactions that occur in teamwork, I was, in fact, not thinking of what you are describing, but more the actual working setting of most people. 

I have experience at being a tour guide and it is a very profoundly satisfying form of companionship. I imagine that at times you may feel somewhat like a tour guide with your children, as you go here and there with them; for parents show their children the world every day. They are with them and point out things that are of interest to them and hope will be of interest to their children.

Lori: It's hard in this day and age to even have time to just hang out with someone in just a companionship relationship. I guess that's why I feel like I seize little moments here and there even if the person I am with isn't in that same companionizing mode. That's what I meant. It may be unilateral, but it still works for me.

Ambrosia: Yes, understood. It is, of course, more ideal if the two people are in the companionate mode and it is not unilateral, but mutual. In fact, if there is anything I would offer to you all as a suggestion it would be to prioritize your time in such a way that you place boundaries around companionate time with your spouses, with your children and with your friends. You term it, "quality time", and this is very accurate. It is essential for the well being of families that these companionate relationships be strengthened, enhanced, and prioritized as the most import time you spend, rather than just another nice thing that you could choose to do from among many other options. 

Marty: Does the physical person have to be there or can it be somehow accomplished on this planet via the phone, or whatever, when family or friends are out of personal communication?

Ambrosia: The answer is, of course, yes, Marty. The thing that is obvious, however, is that there really is no substitute for the physical presence. The other communication modes are greatly reduced in effectiveness inasmuch as scientists estimate that communication occurs somewhere in the range of 75 to 90% by nonverbal means. When you cannot see the person, but have to rely only on hearing, you lose some of that nonverbal information. But, most important is your intention; and indeed, consider how much better it is for your generation than it was for people hundreds of years ago who relied on written communication which took weeks to reach the recipient.  

Nancy: It seems to me that a lot of nonverbal communication isn't just visual but it's sharing energy, it's changing the energy mood and I can't do that over the phone. It's also why I can't imagine teaching by video or learning by video, but especially teaching, not being able to feel the energy of students shift.

Ambrosia: I agree. There is no substitute for the literal presence for the reasons you just expressed. I can not adequately explain to you what circuitry involves. When you say energy exchange that is part of what we call circuitry. It is on a mindal level, both cognitive and feeling. It is also on a soul level of connection. Of course, as long as you are mortals it is important to include touch, the physical connection as well.