a question asked

Not long ago, a question was posed to me that caused me to stop and rethink where I was headed.
"If you were to meet [this person] today, say at work or at a social event, would you want him or her to be your friend? Would you spend any more time or energy than you had to in getting to know him or her?"
So many thoughts sped through my mind in a split second, most of which included those people with whom I had forged relationships - sometimes having to work hard at it, and other times with more ease than I understood. The immediate response was a very relieved no. The next series of thoughts had to do with my own use of the same concept in, actually, a similar context. I, however, had placed it in a different direction: "If I didn't have to have a relationship with this person, I might otherwise have never met him or her. I'd have no reason to have them in my circle." This new question took the pressure off.
Bonds of blood are important, but equally important are bonds of love, bonds of the heart. Call it what you will - framily, family of the heart, besties, communion of saints - regardless, though blood may be thicker than water, water is pretty darn essential. My husband and I share no bond of blood, and yet our relationship is more important than any other on earth. And I would still want to get to know him if I met him today for the first time.
There is a mutual aspect. Just because I find someone interesting does not guarantee the same curiosity will be reciprocated, and vice versa. On occasion,  that has been a hard pill to swallow. Tolerating another's attempts can be as uncomfortable as the realization that I am being tolerated.
For now I'll say that the question is open-ended, and at times the answer varies based on numerous factors. There's freedom in the asking. In knowing there is even a question. An option - one among many.