Person-Centeredness Assignment

It’s quite amazing the different ways in which we find ourselves communicating, depending on who were having a conversation with. Communication takes time and is a building process in life. Looking back on different relationships I’ve had through the years, it’s fun to see how different communication is from the beginning of a relationship, compared to when you are truly comfortable in your relationship with someone. Whether it’s a boyfriend/girlfriend, a best friend or your parent, the way in which we communicate with each one is very different. My best friend Melissa, who is now currently my roommate, is someone who I know I can talk to about anything and everything, without ever being judged. Melissa and I’s relationship is one that has grown so much throughout the years. We’ve gone to school with each other since middle school, but have only recently grown to be super close. Melissa and I both transferred home to UB after our first year of college at different schools. When we found out that we both were going to be attending UB, along with having the same major, we decided to commute to school together. At that point in our relationship, we weren’t very close. Melissa and I had always been friends, but we drifted our senior year when I graduated early and didn’t stay in strong contact with a lot of people in high school. After a few months of commuting to UB together, I noticed our relationship grow so much. I had never been close to Melissa and we both realized how well we got along, and also how similar we were. I can speak for myself when I say I saw a side of Melissa I never knew existed, and I think its safe to say the same goes for her towards myself. The way we communicate is different than my communication is with anyone else. We can give each other something as simple as a look, and we immediately know what each other is trying to communicate. Something we always say to each other is that we have “telepathy.” Before we lived together, we would constantly find one another sending texts at the same exact time. By living with each other especially, we both have learned the best way to communicate with each other based on our moods. Melissa knows that when I’m in a grumpy mood, I’m most likely going to have an attitude when speaking. She knows that I don’t mean anything against her, so she doesn’t take it personally. That is one thing I wish everyone I came in contact knew about me, because it tends to get me in trouble when people think I’m being rude due to my tone of voice, when in reality I don’t even realize how what I’m saying comes out. Melissa is my best friend for many reasons, but one thing I love about our relationship is that I can say absolutely anything, even the most ridiculous thing, and she will just laugh and not judge me. She makes me feel comfortable enough to be able to come to her with anything I’m dealing with in life and she knows exactly what to say to make me feel good about myself. Lastly, Melissa and I have slangs and facial expressions that we use with each other, that no one else would understand except us. The way in which I talk to Melissa is different than anyone else in my life. She knows exactly what I’m trying to say even when it doesn’t exactly come out right. Melissa and I both know each and everyone of each other’s moods and how to deal with each other in every one of them. We have inside jokes and slangs we use that no one else would understand. Our communication is on another level compared to a lot of people in my life and that is why she is my best friend.