Real
Friends
“You
show me your soul
It
widens a place in mine
Where
I store treasures.”
Isie
Hanson (“Real Communion”)
My
friend Isie writes poetry—obviously. Sometimes she responds to my blog with a haiku.
She is also a watercolor artist. Sometimes, she even edits my mess, which I
greatly appreciate. She’s a one-of-a-kind friend. Last week, when I told her I’d
lost my copy of The Velveteen Rabbit, one showed up in my mail two days
later. I’ve been reading it again, mining it for wisdom words. Here’s an example:
“And so time went on, and the little Rabbit was very happy—so happy that he
never noticed how his beautiful velveteen fur was getting shabbier and
shabbier, and his tail coming unsewn, and the pink rubbed off his nose where
the boy had kissed him.” (p.11) That’s how it is with old friendships, isn’t
it. They make you Real and there is no need for pretense.
My friend
Ellen is having sinus surgery this morning to clear them and treat for chronic
infection. I’ve lit a candle and prayed for her safety and for the surgeon’s
good hands. My friend Dejuana’s old dog Chavez died this week, just laid down
and stopped breathing—a peaceful and welcomed journey to the afterlife. What
better way to go? He was Real, from being loved on, too. My friend Sharon is
flying off to Colorado Springs this morning to spend a week or so with friends
visiting places—Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico—she hasn’t been before. She’s
excited. My friend Garvice and his wife Patti are off to the beach for a week.
I’m watching the tropical storm brewing in the Caribbean, hoping it doesn’t
interrupt their much needed get away. I wonder if you keep tabs on your friends,
too.
Friendship
is one of the most sacred parts of life. Real friends will tell you when you
are being a pain in the butt, and when you’re looking good. They’ll tell you when
they appreciate what you say, and when they disagree with you. Amy Poehler said
a true thing: “Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you; spend a
lot of time with them, and it will change your life.”
Friends are the bumpers
on our bowling alley, the safety net beneath our tightrope, the lifejacket when
our canoe turns over. They are there when we need them and when we want them,
and sometimes, when they need us. They are there when we’re sick and when we’re
well, and they have the grace to take care of us even when we’re difficult. My
friend, Harry, created the coffee klatch when we were forced apart by Covid,
and it’s still going two and a half years later. We’ve helped each other survive
the isolation of lock-down. I don’t know how anyone gets through this life
without fellow travelers who love them.
Perhaps Anais Nin said it
best: “Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until
they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world begins.” Real
friends loan us their wings when ours are broken, and I’m so grateful for them. I know you are, too.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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