“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” Helen Keller
“There is nothing on this to earth more to be prized than true friendship.” Thomas Aquinas
“A friend loves at all times.” Proverbs 17:17
“It takes a long time to grow an old friend.” John Leonard
I met my oldest true-blue friends in second grade. Having recently moved to the area, I was the new kid, and I didn't know anyone. Cindy had a bright smile and freckles; Kim had pretty eyes and dark hair. They reached out to me on that big, lonely playground, and we became fast friends.
Over the years, we went from playing together during recess, to singing together in middle school chorus, to studying trigonometry after school in our junior year (they helped me pass that class!). Before we graduated and pursued our different paths, we made a pact to get together at least three times a year for our birthdays. And until Kim moved to a different state, we kept that pact for 25 years.
Looking back at my friendships through the years, I know this beyond a shadow of a doubt:
Friends are precious. Friends matter. Good friends are worth investing both our time and our heart in.
Good friends make our lives richer.
They can help us plant seeds for a future harvest or hold the ladder while we reach higher.
They rejoice with us when we rejoice, they weep with us when we weep.
They can cheer from the sidelines or run alongside us. And they help us up when we fall.
They make us laugh, even when we don’t want to.
Keeping in touch with them takes time and energy, but it’s worth it.
Friends make life better.
And here’s one more thing I know: time is passing so quickly. Don’t wait to tell your friends how you feel about them.
There’s no better time to connect with a friend—or maybe make a new one?—than today.
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Photo of two people on path by Shaojie, unsplash.com
Photo of two little girl friends by Nathan Dumlao, unsplash.com
Photo of three people on beach by Ivana Cajina, unsplash.com
Photo of three drinks by Nathan Dumlao, unsplash.com