Our Imaginary Friends...
By Darkwing
@Darkwing (21583)
May 27, 2007 9:46pm CST
I never had one; my friends were my doll, my teddies, my monkey, called chimp and my golly. lol. We used to have tea parties and all sorts.
However, the reason I brought this subject up was because first, my niece had an imaginary friend. It was a boy and he very conveniently had a dog. lol. This meant that whenever my niece didn't want to eat all her dinner, she was saving it for the imaginary dog. ha ha ha. She did tell me the names of the boy and the dog, but I can't recall them now.
Then, my granddaughter had an imaginary friend. I suppose she was a bit lonely at the time because she'd lost her brother, but it made me wonder, because both of them would look to the side of them and supposedly answer their imaginary friends.
Do you think they are more than imaginary? Maybe they're spirits of some kind. Have you ever had an imaginary friend so that you can tell me if you ever saw or heard anything that others couldn't? I wonder sometimes if it's something celestial.
8 people like this
15 responses
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
28 May 07
I've always had imaginary friends as a kid...uh..still do--hehehe---I had no brothers or sisters so I grew up mostly alone...As to whether these friends were pure flights of imagination or not who knows? Children I think are so much more broad and open minded...they have an innocence we sadly loose as we get older..so if the friend is purely imaginary or maybe a true being or entity that exists in another dimension who is to say....maybe the imaginary friend could be the spirit guide we all have since the beginning of our birth..and as children we can see them...as we get older we can't...when so called "reason" and logic grabs us as we get older.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
28 May 07
Not necessarily...I think our main problem?? We grow up and become "logical"
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
28 May 07
I dont ever remember having one but my grand daughter talks to some one some times we beleive it is one of her grandpas. SHe has always from birth done this . When laying in her play pen when she couldnt talk , sometimes she would just giggle and be looking up in the air seeing things we couldnt see other times she seemed to just listen and smile and talk (goo) and be looking toward my hubbies pic. The laughing times we think was other grandpa the smiles and goos we think was my hubby talking to her.
Now I think when she laughs and giggles and talking to something that Bud is visiting her other times when she just smiles and talks seriously to something it is hubby that she is talking too.
ANd she was born 2 days before hubbies birthday and he lasted 20 days after her birth I think he is her gardian angel
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
•
28 May 07
Wow... Lakota that is very interesting. Tell me, did she ever know her grandpa? As for Dad, yes I agree he would probably become her guardian angel; feel the need to be beside her and protect her at all times.
You've brought a tear to my eye, my friend, but how lovely for your daughter. I'll bet she's a very contented girl. Didn't you say to me about her buying flowers from time to time? That could be significant too, I guess.
Thank you so much for sharing this with me. x
@Darkwing (21583)
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29 May 07
Sorry, Lakota for confusing your daughter with your granddaughter. :-)
You know, the more you tell me of this, the more I agree with you. I believe your hubby IS her guardian angel, and Bud, I'm not sure whether he just wanted to return and enjoy her first years of life, or if he's guarding her too. Did he just have the son, or did he have a daughter? That would be interesting to know. She may have been the "daughter" he never had, to him.
Either way, there's a whole lot of love there for that little girl, and she's going to grow up to be a princess.
Thank you for sharing, Lakota. You brought a tear to my eye. xx
@kmdvmd (357)
• India
28 May 07
i think outdoor sports plays an important role in our life.in older days we used to play so many games and sports in in big grounds so every expectations of us was fulfilled so far as friendship is concern.in new generations most of the time they stay in home so they dont get open space and try to get an immaginary friend.
2 people like this
@mummymo (23706)
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28 May 07
What a lovely way of thinking of the issue sweetheart! I never had an imaginary friend sweets but my eldest had a best friend that was slightly beyond the norm! He used to go out the front of my grans garden and speak to his best friend the cherry blossom tree! He would tell it everything that was happening in his life and spill out all his secrets - it was quite sweet if rather weird! he gets really embarrassed if we mention it now! xxx
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
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28 May 07
Hmmmmmm, that's rather interesting, because a cherry tree is quite significant, and I (whether you think I'm weird or not), do believe in tree spirits. So maybe the lad wasn't as strange as you thought. He may well have had some connection with the spiritual World.
The spirit of the cherry tree is invigorating and the source of new beginnings! This tree is the place to go if you wish to let go of the past, change your life and experience a "rebirth". The phoenix is another mythical being of the cherry tree, and its fairies are full of fiery and new energy.
Does that mean anything with regard to the lad you were talking about? It would certainly be interesting if it did, because that would point to his imaginary friend being a spirit of some kind.
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
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29 May 07
Yes, I certainly do, Mummymo... he was looking for an "out" from the life, or the thoughts he had, and a new beginning. The spirits of the Cherry Tree could offer him that, plus they are fiery yet impish creatures, so perhaps they cheered him up and took his thoughts off of what he knew, because children are more affected than we know around abuse. They feel helpless, yet they want to change things.
Strange... we never think at the time, unless we're really clued up on tree spirits and such, but I do believe, and if something like that happened to my family, I would suspect straight away that there was a reason, and would look into it, with them.
1 person likes this
@mummymo (23706)
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28 May 07
Well sweetheart although he was a young child I always felt that although he was never directly involved in the abuse I suffered in my marriage and I got out when he was 1 , that he had been affected by it! Maybe he wanted to wipe these things from his mind or something! Wow and we have teased him about this for years! Do you think it could have something to do with this?xxxx
@kayrod2 (1304)
• Australia
28 May 07
I have never had an imaginary friend, but i can remember my cousin had one when he was young. I believe it was a spirit or something like that. It was a little boy and my cousin said he lived in one of the walls of the house. There always seemed to be a presence around, but i never saw anything. I have read stories similar to this as well. Maybe other children have just an imaginary friend that they have made up, and others have someone looking after them.
Best wishes to you, darkwing
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
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29 May 07
You've probably hit right on the reason there, Kay. An old house, which had seen a few families before yours, and who possibly all had children. Obviously, this little boy spirit wanted to go back for whatever reason. There are two times during the year when the veil between the two worlds is at its thinnest. Some spirits manage to get back at one of those times, and some decide not to go back for a while. This little boy, I feel, came back and found a friend, so he stayed a while.
I don't know if you agree with that but I find it hard to believe that a young child can make up such elaborate stories and most of them are honest in their innocence. So, I tend to believe and follow up most of the things they tell me. :-) Oh, I know they have imagination, but if one stops and takes time to ask them a few questions, they will find that things come out which the child could never have known about unless he was told, or shown.
Think on that one... lol... you probably think I'm a bit mystical if not slightly mad but that's how I see things.
@kayrod2 (1304)
• Australia
29 May 07
I tend to agree with you, some are chosen for some reason. The house where my cousin lived was quite old and very big. It was on a large piece of land. It was a beautiful house, with a 3 room attic up top. I loved going there in the holidays, we always had a great time. It even had a croquet court, but i never played the game. Brings back very fond memories
@pendragon (3350)
• United States
28 May 07
I never had one either...but I am writer, so I think maybe I had characters in my head but never vocalized them to anyone else, so maybe they were private invisible friends? I have to ponder this further,lol.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
29 May 07
Yes Darkwing I used to have one to when I was a Child right up until the age of 12 and then she disappeared We used to talk a lot together and play a lot on the Swings, we used to run across the Field when I was 8 and she used to walk to School with me, she never came into School though and then she used to be there when it was time to go home
I always felt safe when she was about
Her name was Angie
@Darkwing (21583)
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29 May 07
It seems you imaginary friend enjoyed freedom Gabs and indeed, brought freedom to you from all the bad things you had to endure. A friend, indeed.
I'm taking it you actually "saw" your imaginary friend and didn't just feel her presence. It sounds as though you probably did.
Thank you for sharing, my friend. Love and hugs. xx
1 person likes this
@complexvanilla (653)
• India
30 May 07
It's pretty common for children to have imaginary friends, and the best part is that most of them even know and acknowledge that these 'friends' are imaginary. At least, that was the case with me. I grew up on my grandfather's sprawling house, but there were absolutely nobody of my age to play with. The gardens were perfect for playing games like hide-n-seek and the like, but I had nobody to play with, so I would go about creating some friends of the imaginary kind. I was never under the impression that these were real people. I just had to have somebody to play with, and so I created some of them!
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
28 May 07
I guess I am just not imaginative enough. When I am lonely, I try to imagine up friends too. But I never did manage to succeed on this count. They just don't feel real enough to do any good.
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
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29 May 07
No... I don't think that's the reason. I think they probably aren't in close proximity to you, or none that want to befriend somebody. Or, perhaps they are closeby but they think you have the strength and power not to need any guidance from them.
You see what I'm getting at?
@whyaskq (7523)
• Singapore
29 May 07
I do not have any imaginery friends. I am rather practical and realistic. However, I see that little kids have many imaginery friends. They are rather good at imagination and get on well with what they are playing. I do hope they grow out of it when they are older but I certainly would not want to stifle their creativity.
@Darkwing (21583)
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29 May 07
Oh, they will certainly grow out of it, Why. It seems that only children have the ability to "see" their imaginary friends, and I'm not so sure that it's all imagination. A child is more receptive to a spirit than an adult, and I feel that sometimes, if not always, their imaginary friend is far from imagined.
I didn't have an imaginary friend either, but I have found my guardian angel in adult life. I've actually met him and labelled him my earthangel because he's a soul reincarnated in another body. Of that, I am totally convinced. You may think it's impossible, but I am completely sure. He's not here all the time, in fact, not a lot of the time at all, but then I guess that will always be the way until I'm really in need of his guidance.
Brightest Blessings my friend.
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
28 May 07
I have never had an imaginary friend but I do think sometime when children so it might be more then their imagination. Maybe guardian angels or like you said spirits. I believe that our loved ones sometime hang around to take care of us to the best of their abilities and a lonely child might be keeping company with a grandparent etc. that has passed on. Imaginary or not they are satisfying a need they have for companionship.
@Darkwing (21583)
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28 May 07
Yes, I think it's somebody or something taking care of them, too... maybe guiding them. I just wondered if anybody had actually "seen" their imaginary friend, because I believe that some spirits can be seen by one person and not another, and children tend to see them more often than adults.
Thank you for your input... it was interesting that you viewed it in the same way as I. Brightest Blessings.
@Darkwing (21583)
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28 May 07
That's something I fail to understand... children are more receptive and more responsive to spirits, ghosts, whatever you like to call them, but why is it that some are visited and some not, in that case? Maybe some need the guidance whereas others are doing just fine on their own... I don't know. Hence the discussion... I thought somebody might be able to shed some light on it.
@Sherry12 (2472)
• United States
29 May 07
I think maybe some children are more receptive to it. And, it probably has a lot to do with how the adults around them act. If somebody is telling them no one is there, they will soon start believing they aren't really seeing anything. Also, the place they live may have something to do with it. If their is the earthbound spirit of a child nearby, it will go to the closet child that will accept it. We can probably learn if we would pay closer attention to these kids who have imaginary friends.
1 person likes this
@tinlucy (69)
• Philippines
28 May 07
i have never met a person who has an imaginary friend but i have heard a lot of stories already about that and most of them are kids..i guess it's normal but if these kids are starting to grow up and still have their imaginary friends, i think it's better if you guys talk to them already...
@Darkwing (21583)
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28 May 07
Yes, I was hoping for a few stories about individuals' imaginary friends, and have been honoured with some quite amazing stories. Some people have friends or relatives who have related stories of an imaginary friend to them, and others, who have never had an imaginary friend, I thought might be able to offer an opinion.
Thank you for your input and brightest blessings for a great day.
