Feasting on the Fabulousness of Friendships

As I plan a trip to the state of Virginia, my thoughts have pondered much about friendships, especially old ones since I lived in Virginia for twelve years. I have given thought to which friends I hope to see and even some former friends that I hope not to see. Friends will be picking me up from the airport, my daughter will bring her best friend with her to a beach house that is being loaned to me by another friend. There will be a party for me to see some of my most important friends, hosted by one of my very best friends. Even my son and his girlfriend will probably drive down from the DC area and I am very excited. My son, even though he is my child, he is also my friend. I am working on a beautiful friendship with his girlfriend and I hope that the friendship grows along with her involvement in my son's life.

Last night, my best friend, also my husband, and I had dinner with our oldest and dearest friends. We lived across the street from them almost twenty years ago in the state of Kansas and now live just a little more than a mile from them in Texas. It is so relaxing and so fun to spend time with them. We laughed about some of the things we did so many years ago, reminisced about the first time we met, about how the husbands share the same birthday, and on and on. After a long time at the restaurant, we still were enjoying our friendship, so we went to the Bass Pro Shop and walked around. At one point, my husband's friend and myself were at a counter talking to a sales representative. He assumed we were married to each other. We laughed as I said, "No, this is my husband's best friend and HIS wife is off in another part of the store with MY husband." The sales rep raised his eyebrows and we all laughed. Within five minutes all four of us were at the counter together, planning a trip for the four of us. Friends. Comfortable and such a blessing.

Today I went with a friend to the gigantic flea market and Trade Days in Canton, TX. I have only known this friend for about a year and a half, but she is a fun and comfortable friend to hang out with. We both worked for the same company for about six months, both of us detesting it, but making the best of it while looking to move on. Part of what made it OK was our developing friendship. After we both moved into other jobs, we decided to keep up the friendship and today was a day that we set aside to do that. We shopped until we dropped and laughed until we popped.

Tomorrow I will have coffee with another new friend who celebrated her birthday today. I bought her a gift to let her know she is important to me and I am looking forward to giving it to her. What a blessing to have new friends especially after feeling a little down about friendship. God always gives us second chances and fresh starts.

Friends have been so important to me in my life, I guess because all relationships that are important are some form of friendship. My mother is a great friend, my husband is my closest friend, and as my children become adults, our relationship is becoming more like friendship. My daughter, although 14, is like a friend as we just finished watching a movie together and she will be slumber partying with me while her daddy is out of town. And then I have scores of other types of friends as well. I have read several different books on friendships (Becoming Friends, The Friendship Factor, and others) that continue to teach me how important friends are and how to treat them with the love and respect that they deserve. All friendships are a gift from God...or at least they should be. And then the friend, who sticks closer than a brother, Jesus. Now, HE is a friend!

I am presently rebuilding old relationships and searching for new ones, ones that I hope I can protect. I don't want to try to survive without friendships, some intimate, some close, and some casual. I discover who I am and who God wants me to be through my relationships with others.

The purity of a relationship is directly proportional to the undivided attention we give to those shared moments, hours,experiences, and being THERE with one another. This communion with each other is the celebration of life and God.

I will look for opportunities, every day, to give of myself wholly in my friendships. The blessings will be more than I can count.