Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Best of Friends

When I was young I believed in the concept of one best friend, and then I started to become a woman. I found out that if you allow your heart to open up, you could see the best in many friends.

One friend's best is needed when you're going through things with your children. Another friend's best is needed when you're going through things with your mom. Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be.

One friend will say let's pray together, another let's cry together, another let's fight together, another let's walk away together. One friend will meet your spiritual need, another your shoe fetish, another your love for movies, another will be with you in your season of confusion, another will be your clarifier, and another the wind beneath your wings.

But whatever their assignment in your life, on whatever the occasion, on whatever the day, or where ever you need them to meet you with their gym shoes on and hair pulled back or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself... those are your friends.

It may all be wrapped up in one person, but for many it's wrapped up in several... one from 7th grade, several from high school, several from the college years, a couple from old jobs, on some days your mother, for some your daughter, on others your sisters, and on some days it's the one that you needed just for that day or week that you needed someone with a fresh perspective, or the one who didn't know all your baggage, or the one who would just listen without judging... those are good best friends.

I thank my friends, those who honor intimacy, those who hold trust, and those who hold me up when life is just too heavy! The special bond we share is unique. Thanks for the words we've shared. The laughs, the tears, the phone calls, the emails, the shopping, the movies, the lunches, the dinners, the talking, talking, talking and the listening, listening, and listening....

So whether you've been there 20 minutes or 20 years, I love you!

A fair face may fade, but a beautiful soul lasts forever.

1 comment:

Susan said...

That's a nice post. I still have one *best* friend, who has been through thick and thin with me the last ten years, as I have with her. Deaths, births, Alzheimer's (not ours, fortunately!) retirement . . . and always quilting!