My “silver” friends. Love the bond we’ve formed already.
As a child I was shy and insecure. I didn’t make friends easily, as you have to look someone in the eye to befriend her. The friendships I did manage to form were the on-again, off-again type. (Can I just say girls can be mean? And I wasn’t always on the receiving end. I knew how to dish it out.) The difficulty in maintaining friendships was intensified by the fact that my family moved across country twice between my eighth grade year and my sophomore year in high school.
High School Graduation
The moving didn’t cease. Since high school, I have lived in six different towns, moving, on average, every five years. Some would think this lifestyle makes it more difficult to make friends. While that was true of me growing up, as I’ve matured, it’s had the opposite effect. I am friendlier and more determined to find friends.
My “gold” friends.
On my recent visit to IL, I re-connected with many of the friends I left last summer. I felt so blessed to be loved on by these precious ladies. On the flight home, I thought of the new friendships I’ve forged. I started reflecting on the groups of friends I’ve belonged to over the years–how attached I get, how difficult it is to leave. It reminded me of the Girl Scout saying:
Make new friends,
but keep the old.
One is silver,
the other is gold.
My attitude toward moving has changed. I used to be so emotionally devastated to leave the comforts of what I knew, I took a “don’t look back” approach, choosing not to stay in touch with those left behind. Additionally, my insecure-self knew I didn’t do friendships well, and I was sure I would be quickly forgotten. Now I seek new friends, overturning every rock, looking for them like the gems they are, not forsaking those established relationships. Now I cherish each friend I have – one is silver, the other is gold.
More “gold” friends.
So here’s to friends!
They fill us up. They cheer us on. They teach us.
They encourage and admonish. They give us strength to face the day.
They laugh with us, and cry with us–on occasion at the same time.
They rejoice in our triumphs and mourn our losses.
They pray for us on a good day.
They pray for us when we have lost our hope and have no words.
They know our strengths and weaknesses, our strong points and flaws, our courage and our fears–and yet love us.
They hug us hello and hold our hand when we hurt.
Without friends, our marriages would suffer and our sanity would flee.
Friends are a gift from the Lord. Cultivate and nurture your friendships, old and new.
One is silver, the other is gold.
In the comments section, tell me what you love about your friends.
In the Midst . . . 