Friends are Truly Rewarding

One of life’s most rewarding relationships is that of true friendship. We meet persons who become friends in many ways. Sometimes, a mutual friend brings us together. We may have the same hobby, enjoy the same reading material, or other interests in common.

It’s been said that a friend reaches out for your hand, and touches your heart.

Friends are everywhere and are there to share your joys and your sorrows. True friends know the “real you,” and care about you anyway.

Our longtime friends may have been our schoolmates or neighbors when we were young. One of the sad things is that as we travel life’s path, we often lose touch with our friends. Oh, we don’t intend for this to happen, but we become so busy with our own lives, that we neglect checking with our friends or staying in touch.

As happens quite often, our friends’ families also become our friends and we care about each person in that clan. I still remember the parents of so many of my friends from grade school. When my dad passed away, a man came to visit my mother and convey his condolences. We had lived across the street from each other back about the time we first began school. I had not seen him nor heard from him, in many years.

I’ve heard someone say, “Well, you don’t get to choose your relatives, but you can choose your friends.”

As the years have passed, I’ve come to realize that my friends have taught me many lessons. Some have had serious health problems, and yet, they have stayed strong and not become bitter. Due to the time in which we grew up, many friends have suffered through severe financial difficulties and yet are generous to the various needs of the community.

When a long period of time has passed and you’ve been separated from your friends for whatever reason, re-connecting with them is a special gift.

I still cherish the friendships I enjoyed during the times we lived in different locations. Once in a while, I run into these people unexpectedly and we spend long periods of time trying to catch up.

As time goes by, you may think of a friend and wonder where he is now and what he is doing. Locating that person is not always easy or possible. When my mother learned that one of her friends had died, I remember Mother saying, “I had intended to go see her, but I didn’t get over there.”

Some of my longtime friends and I seldom get to see each other, but I try to stay in touch by phone and mail. At my age, many of my friends have died and I miss them, but I still have the wonderful memories of our times together.

When the moving truck came to bring our things from Antlers here to Waurika, I remember standing in our yard, crying and hugging one of my dear friends. That has been 52 years ago, but we are still friends.

My life has been wonderfully blessed to have the friends who have helped me along life’s way. I hope you feel the same way.

8-13-2009
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