When Good Friends Happen ...

As we get older mature it seems maintaining and making new friendships takes a back seat to life. In other words we are so "busy" working on "our lives" that we stop actually enjoying life and living it. This becomes even more the "norm" when we are going through life changing events, such as divorce, death of a loved one, illness, job loss etc.

Life is filled with many peaks and valleys and how the people you call friends react or don't react when we are going through the valley, desperately trying to climb back up, can say a lot about the "friendship". Before my own inconvenient detour along the road of life, my life was filled with - long time friends, new friends, business friends, social friends, aquaintence friends, and neighbour friends. Looking back at the early days post accident and as life continued the dynamics of these "friendships" changed just as quickly as my life ~ in a blink of an eye - people I had thought I could count one, disappeared or became closer to me; those whom I would not have expected to help pull/push me back up were doing exactlly that... while others did not disappoint in their "where's the quickest exit oughta here?" attitude.

 

In the early days, I literally cried myself to sleep at the loss of friends I "thought" would always be there for me, as I would for them. I questioned why others remained and yet others stepped up unexpectedly.

As, the days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months to now 4 1/2 years later ... the cream does rise to the top! I can't begin to tell you how blessed I feel as I think about those who now surround me and I call "friends". Yes, I still have some (how blessed and grateful I am for them) very long time friends, they are more of extended like family; many are "new" friends - some of which whom have only been in my life a short time (less than 3 years) I hold as close to my heart and with the trust and comfort of some long time friends.

"Currently" I have no businsess friends, unless you count rehab and therapy people; no social friends ... since home is my playground; no real aquaintence friends unless you count the ladies at the bank; since moving to the countryside making neighbour friends is not easy (especially when I don't attend their gatherings [though I do make sure Mr. G goes] or do much entertaining myself. But do not feel sorry for me that I currently do not have these kind of friends in my life. I have discovered a wonderful kind of friend, whom pre-accident I would have never known or had.

These friends may live an hour away or in different parts of the world; I may never meet or know what they look like, or know the sound of their voice; they may be only words on my computer screen ~ BUT, over time we have cried, laughed, inspired and pull/pushed each other to keep going and not give-up - to build new dreams and embrace the moment- in who we are or will become.

Even though it may be with clicked words on a keyboard that appear on each other's computer screens or through actual written words that arrive in my mail box (often these letters/cards arrive just when I really need to feel thought of that I'm not forgotten or need a lift in my day). I hope that my words- whether on their computer screen or in their mail box make a difference in their day.  Virtual Friends, Blog Friends, what words you choose to describe them are TRUE FRIENDS in every meaning of the word and I thank God for blessing me with each and everyone of them  YOU, you know who you are... (see its not about what you don't have its about appreciating what - in this case Whom, you have in your life).

How have the friends you made via your IN-box or Mail box made a difference?

This is part two of The Role People Pay in Our Lives. Click here for part one.