Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Your Umbrella

I hesitate to write this post because I know it will be gushier and mushier than I am comfortable with. I put it off, because I knew there would be no squirming my way out of using feeling words, and getting just a tad emo(gag)tional.

But by now I know better than to mess with recurring thoughts. I know that it is best to just get them out; to write until my brain runs dry. It is a critical piece to my sanity puzzle.

And so I say,

I am lucky in friends.

So lucky.

When I contemplate the seriously amazing people I am blessed to call my friends, I feel a little guilty, like I don't deserve so much awesomeness in my life; like I take for granted the opportunities I have to rub shoulders (mostly via the Internet, so cyber-shoulders?) with some of God's best creatures; like I should live better to be worthy of my acquaintances; like I will be struck down at any moment for ever flippantly saying, "I don't have any friends."

Friends are important. You hear that a lot. At least I did, growing up, and I assumed it only applied to adolescence.

Wrong.

I am finding that my adult friends (most of whom I knew in adolescence, coincidentally) are proving more important (or maybe more accurately: more appreciated) to me now than ever before. They (you) teach me goodness. Kindness. Love. Strength. Grace.

I was able to reconnect with three friends last week. Friends I haven't seen in as many as 11 years. And it was so good for my soul. I haven't quite figured out why, or how to express it in words, but it was just what I needed.

So, thank you. All of you (the act of making it through this post makes you a very good and loyal friend). If I had the time and the emotional fortitude, I would write a brief post about each one of you, singing your individual praise. You really are incredible.

Ay, ay, ay, ay....



p.s. Of course I only got one picture (that wasn't too blurry for recognition) out of my entire trip. Dumb.

4 comments:

Emily said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Emily said...

You have good friends because you are a good friend. & because you agree with me on a lot of important things. Haha. I can't believe how just like old times it was to see you. & our kids like each other!

The United Statements of Merica said...

I find your gush to be entertaining :) and I feel the same way. I have always been surrounded by amazing people that I don't deserve in my life.. I guess I was pretty awesome in the premortal realm.

Anonymous said...

How did I miss this post? I am not knowing! Agreed. I think friends get better with age. I have found that I keep the good eggs and quit wasting time with the bad eggs. Quality is much better than quantity.
MR