大象传媒

Some of the best friendships I know have taken off in pretty unusual places; the girls鈥� loos of a sticky-floored pub, or two ravers shoulder-to-shoulder at a festival. For me - it doesn鈥檛 get much weirder than when I made a lifelong pal 35,000 feet in the air on a flight to New York.

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It was a few years back, and I buckled myself in and excitedly waved goodbye to the view of Manchester鈥檚 cloudy skies - soon to be replaced by the soaring skyscrapers of the city that never sleeps. But on this occasion, neither did I. Because just when we鈥檇 got settled, every nervous traveler's worst nightmare struck鈥� extreme turbulence.

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The wings rattled and the plane shook side-to-side like me on a post-lockdown dance floor. My peanuts hit the deck. My pulse hit the sky. I would have given anything to have my feet firmly back on rainy Mancunian soil. I scrambled for something to grab onto - and after a quick mental toss-up between my armrest and the complete stranger sitting next to me, landed on her.

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So there we were - two strangers, soaring through the sky, awkwardly holding hands.

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The turbulence settled down, and I sheepishly disentangled my fingers. But, by then, the ice was long broken - and we went on to chat the journey away, gallivant about the Big Apple together, and - amazingly - we鈥檙e still in touch today. I think that some of the best relationships take off in times of turmoil.

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For me, my Christian faith in God left the ground in the midst of a difficult season. For others, this year, neighbours have turned into lifelong accomplices through some of the hardest trials. But - and here鈥檚 the key - you have to reach out a hand. When trouble comes, my tendency is to turn to a box-set binge, a top-rated takeaway, or another hour scrolling social media. That way I never have to face rejection, or risk awkwardly holding someone鈥檚 hand.

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But, the truth is, I鈥檓 ultimately left flying solo - without those precious relationships that spring from moments of vulnerability. Former Archbishop Rowan Williams puts it like this: only when humanity 鈥渞eaches out its hand from the depths of chaos,鈥� can it truly be 鈥渢ouched,鈥� helped, and upheld. Some of the best relationships are born in times of turbulence. But only if you鈥檙e brave (and bonkers) enough to reach out a hand.