In life we have all kinds of relationships. Some are mostly harmonious and beneficial--those symbiotic relationships that we generally hold on to and relish, and some relationships can best be described as sandpaper relationships, relationships that are typically conflicting, but positive to each others' growth and development.
Sandpaper relationships are strange. For example, one person that I have a sandpaper relationship with positively affects what I do regularly. This person has made many honorable choices in life--choices that I look to for inspiration. This person feeds me great information and new perspectives. I honor who this person is, his example, and the struggle his life challenges bring him. I know that this person values who I am too--there is mutual respect, but there is also mutual conflict. We tend to sandpaper each others' edges and make each other better, but we're not apt to spend a lot of time together and sometimes when we get together it's quite a struggle
When sandpaper relationships occur, I think it's best to recognize that the sandpaper aspect of those relationships is often beyond our understanding and has a lot to do with factors outside of our experiences together, experiences such as our past and present events and impacts. Sometimes we just have to let that sandpaper aspect exist, and sometimes, in time the relationship changes and sometime it doesn't.
We can't be everyone's best friend. We won't find symbiotic relationships with everyone we meet. And those sandpaper relationships can help us to be better, if we let that happen.
