The Gift of Friendship

These last months I've been thinking a lot about friendships and how important they are to me. Like almost everyone I know, I too have had a number of recent losses, disappointments, and challenges that have been quite difficult. At those critical times, my friends seemed to appear from out of nowhere for me. I'm very grateful to be blessed with supportive friends who have been here when I've really needed them.In my lifetime, I've learned a great deal about friendships. When we have friends who are tried and true, we know we can share our failures and our successes, our tears and our laughter. We don't have to worry if we will be misunderstood or disliked if we appear to be too powerful, too weak, too attractive, too unattractive, too smart, too simple, too successful, too much of a failure, too funny, too serious. Real friends allow one another to be completely themselves, to become the person they are meant to be.Without a doubt, our genuine friends want the best for us, and they encourage us to pursue our dreams and find fulfillment in life. Over the years I've come to realize that quality friendships offer ongoing support, learning experiences, mirrors of truth, and a superb check and balance system. Real friends will tell us positive things if and when we need to hear them but also will let us know when things aren't quite right, when we might be messing up. These relationships can weather all kinds of differences, changes, craziness, and transformations. I believe a really good friend is precious and valuable - a treasure.For most of us, the company of such friends feels like healing balm; just being in each others presence can be enough. Experiencing this kind of caring gives us the courage to try new experiences and stretch our wings. Certainly a healthy friendship helps us grow in every way. Yes, a true friendship is one of life's extraordinary gifts. I call it a gift from God.Beloved Friend, you have given us the gift of Your friendship. And You have also blessed us with friendships here on earth. Help us to be good friends to one another, to ourselves, and to You. What a friend we have in You! Thank you for all these gifts. May we truly cherish them. Amen.Joy Carolwww.joycarol.com