“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”
~ Mark Twain
I’m sitting in my car at the mall, reaching for my purse so I can run in for a few minutes before I grab some Starbucks and head to my friend’s house for a visit, when my phone dings. I rummage through my bag and pull it out.
It’s an email notification of a comment left on my blog that needs approval to post because it’s the first comment from this person. I recognize the first name, but surely it must be left by someone else with that name and not the one who comes immediately to mind.
I begin to read and it becomes clear that the comment is, indeed, from the one I was thinking of–my very best high school friend. Tears come to my eyes as I read her words in response to my recent post about becoming real. Her thoughts comfort me, and take me back to another time and the precious heart connection we shared.
I don’t have time to linger, as I’d like to, with her words. For the time being I tuck them into my heart, as I tuck my phone back into my purse, and take them with me: precious words from one best friend holding me gently as I spend the afternoon with another best friend. How wonderful is all of that?
Later, when I’m home, I return to her comment. I’m touched deeply by her words. I smile as I remember all we experienced together as we navigated the craziness of high school. We haven’t seen each other face-to-face for many years but the heart connection remains.
I’ve never been a person with a large circle of friends. For me, it’s always been a select few I feel comfortable enough with to welcome into my sphere–and once they’re in, they’re in to stay. Life happens, circumstances change, people move in and out of our lives, but one of the great gifts of the twenty-first century is the ability to stay connected to, or reconnect, with those who occupy a special place in our heart.
I think of those who have walked alongside me in different seasons of my life, and those who are walking with me now–those I’ve shared both laughter and tears with–and I feel blessed.
So lovely to share. Thanks, Linda.
Thank you, dear Mary Jo.
I have thought about this post for a few hours. I’ve had a few friends that I thought were “forever friends” and then turned on me….money, essence, love, real life, human rights, women’s rights, LGBT rights. So……While I will agree that each person needs to make their own decisions and sway one way or the other, I also feel that we should all just love one another. I see less and less of that lately, sadly. I have connected, again, with friends from high school and beyond and I have found that many of them are liberal, but many of them are hateful. I choose to separate myself from the hateful and embrace the loving.
This grieves me, Karen. I see so much hatred and anger on the news and social media these days it shouldn’t surprise me, but it does. Maybe I’m somewhat Pollyanna-ish, but I choose to believe we can–if we make an effort–be kind to one another whether we share the same beliefs or not. I also think it’s become too easy to hide behind the screen of a device and spew anger at those who are different. Liberal, conservative, orange, purple, it shouldn’t matter. We–I–can intentionally choose to extend grace and, as you say, love one another.