Recently I read an article about the importance of friendship which reiterated much of what I had thought for many years. My friends, along with my family, are what sustains me.
In research I had conducted as a doctoral student, the mere perception of social support was a critical factor in helping mothers cope. Having friends makes it even sweeter. Most of us are not meant to be solitary creatures connected only to our handheld electronic companions.
Lately, I have been very aware of what gifts my friends bring to my life. From my friends with whom I am still connected since elementary school, there is a sense of history of growing up in a small town. We have watched each other become graduates, parents and now grandparents through the years of happiness and heartbreak we have shared through visits, holiday cards and phone calls. Sadly, some have completed their earthly journeys.
There are the friends I have met along the way who are the mainstays in my life. They link me to places I have lived and people I have loved. We continue to compare our journeys as we share our stories, our values and our life events. They are like the pillars that sustain my sense of who I am. Through our weddings, our reunions, our travels and our trials, they have been like the fabric of my life that makes the patchwork of my security blanket.
My recent birthday party given by my husband along with two of my friends was a delightful celebration with people who mean the most to me. Surrounded by friends and family, I felt like I was bursting with love for these folks who share my life. It was magical.
Through the years, they have been my teachers, confidants, role models, partners in crime, therapists, and companions as we have all learned the lessons of this lifetime. Each one having a spot on the mantlepiece of my heart.
It reminds me of a song from the days of Girl Scout camp “ Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold”. How true.
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