Summing Up Friendship

Friends come and go. Some disappear for a long time, only to show up again as if the lost months or years have vanished into thin air. Those friends are the best, I think because for some reason (love, caring, respect, I suspect) we are able to pick up and carry on as if not a second has been lost. Bonds cemented as those are, are priceless. I am fortunate to have a few friends like that, but today I want to mention one in particular. Her name is Louise (LOO-ease). It’s a beautiful name and when spoken with a southern twang (which she has as I did once), it’s musical. After a few decades, in recent years, though we live over two thousand miles apart, we’ve picked up where we left off when we were high school buddies. Reciprocal respect, I believe, combined with some crazy memories, helped re-establish our relationship. My friend Louise and I still are working hard in our lives and are finding fulfillment, she as a nurse, I as a writer and former teacher. I like to think we’ve made a difference in the lives of others, and fortunately for us, the beat goes on.

Not all friends are as easy. Don’t get me wrong. I am blessed to have friendships. What I’ve recognized recently, however, is that mixing and matching friends doesn’t always work. Chemistry definitely is at work. It makes sense and I have learned to adapt, often taking time for one at a time, appreciating each as a unique entity. Yes, some take a bit more work, but all in all, I appreciate each friend or acquaintance who has entered my life because whether he or she knows it or not, each has had an influence, positive or negative. Some people I have known are unforgettable, others are vague memories, and, it’s true, a few have been long forgotten. No matter. It’s clear to me that friends help shape us; they have helped forge the individual each of us has become, and good or bad, they should be acknowledged for having had that role. I am grateful for my friends and most thankful, or course, for the best ones who have been ever-present, even at a distance, as my childhood pal, Louise, has been.

 

Judi and Louise - a LONG time ago