Friendship

“A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” William Shakespeare

Happy Monday

I hope you had a lovely Fourth of July celebration!

I spent some time this weekend catching up with a few friends. As much as I try to stay in regular contact with people, something always requires my attention. I sometimes get distracted by the things of life rather than making the people in my life a priority. I wanted very much to make it different this time. The funny thing about plans, though, is that they don’t often play out how we envision them in our minds.

I made a few phone calls and left a few messages. I was having trouble connecting and getting a little discouraged. Where is everyone? Were they ignoring my calls? Didn’t they want to hear from me? Did I somehow make all of them angry? Yes, I can be a Drama Queen ~ I learned it from my children (although they would argue it’s the other way around, lol!)

At some point, I realized that it was a long weekend, and just because I was home on dog-sitting duty, many were away enjoying some much-needed rest and revitalization. So, I cooled my jets, so to speak, and began to think about my beautiful friendships. There was so much joy!

I thought about my friend of 40+ years, who knows me better than anyone, with whom I have entrusted my darkest thoughts and secrets. This person’s unconditional love and acceptance are textbook. Then there’s my friend whose birthday was yesterday. She abandoned me. Okay, there’s the Drama Queen again, lol! Actually, she fell in love, moved, and got married. I’m so happy for her, and I miss her terribly. We share unique pandemic experiences that will forever seal our friendship, regardless of location.

I have a friend who is my partner in mischievous crime. He’s the only one who can get me up and out of the house when I want to hide away. We go on long drives, see fun things, and go on gentle hikes, and he threatens to make me do hard stuff all the time. It’s just enough to keep me from melting into the couch but not too much to be discouraging.

I’ll also tell you about my sweet friend, who is always joyful. She inspires me to keep going when I feel like giving up. She finds something to be happy about, regardless of the situation, and spends time praying with me and going with me to pray for others. We have a couple of favorite dinner spots and take time every couple of weeks to get together, sit, and be present with one another, discussing various concerning issues.

William Shakespeare understood the essential components of a good friend:  

I could go on and am so grateful for these and other dear friends who love me in spite of and although! My friends abroad make it a practice to check in with my girls if they haven’t heard from me. The colleagues who have become friends with whom I delight in waxing endlessly about matters of the mind and heart. The ones who send me memes to brighten my day. They all comfort, bring joy, join important quests, and keep me sane. They don’t judge but aren’t afraid to speak the truth and know I’ll do the same when the situation warrants.

Scripture talks about friends this way:

“A friend loves at all times,” Proverbs 17:17a (NKJV)

“The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Proverbs 12:26 (NKJV)

Friends are indispensable, particularly as we navigate life during difficult times. One could argue that we face increasingly significant difficulties these days, but I wonder if every age has its challenges that seem impossible. Friendship is one of the particular joys that makes tough times bearable. I know I’d be lost without mine and shudder to think what life would be sans the specific and unique connections I have with each individual with whom I share life.

Consider taking an inventory of your friendships this week. Are there people in your life that you’d like to appreciate in a new way? Is it your turn to reach out? Maybe a rift needs to be mended, or perhaps time has passed, and you could extend an olive branch to bridge a time gap. Take time to be a friend. It’s one way to ensure friendship in the future!

Be Well & Be Blessed!
Lucinda