Friendship Day
/I sat for the longest time trying to start this paragraph. Thoughts and emotions are all balled up like yarn when I think of my friends and these relationships that have kept me alive for so many years. It's like trying to describe how you feel about oxygen, but with your deepest heart rather than your brain or lungs. Of all the relationships I have ever experienced -- familial, romantic, or even with my dogs (well, maybe I will hold out the dogs from this because they are supernatural) -- the relationships I have had and still have with my precious, precious friends are at the center of that ball, like the core that keeps everything from unraveling, and words are inadequate to express what they have done for me, kept me from, and lifted me to. I love you all so much. You are the world to me. New and old, and as yet unmet. To me, friends are proof of God.
Part of life is seeing people come and go from your circle, even friends you thought would be with you forever. Life takes a turn and you are preoccupied with a challenge or a loss or a new path that takes up your time, months or years go by, and then the day comes when you remember. Or a thoughtless word is spoken and feelings are hurt or misunderstandings take root and choke out what brought you both to friendship in the first place. I think we should never feel like it's too late to reach out again. And we should never let cheap, worldy things come between us. Ever. This world and its assaults are very temporary. Love is not. The people who were there for you in the darkness are the ones you will stitch to you with unbreakable thread.
Time goes very fast when we're behind in things. It seems to slow down when we are suffering, and a heart in darkness can forget that light is just a few digits away. Make the call. He cares. She is there. They've needed you, too.
When we have the likes of National Marzipan Day (Have you ever tasted this stuff?... January 12th), National Cold Cuts Day (Really?... March 3rd), National Something on a Stick Day (I guess it doesn't matter what... March 28th), and National Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19th or any day I didn't sleep and my software is giving me problems), I think National Friendship Day needs its own flag and parade and the post offices and banks should be closed and devices should be banned except for taking pictures of you with your friends. Actually talking to each other face to face. And there should be fireworks at the beach.
It's time to go do something fun and forget where we live for a few hours.
I send these things to clients as well as close friends, because my clients are my friends, too - they keep me in kibble and away from too much idle thought. I look forward to National Clients Day. But for now, I wish for everyone who reads this a fond remembering of why you love the people in your life, and why they love you. Make it really important and tell them often. Where would you be without them?
Friendship Day isn't until Sunday, but I thought I'd send this on a Friday so that most people will have 2 whole days to plan something fun with a friend. As luck would have it, I will spend Sunday with one of mine.
Here's a musical tribute to you all. (It's kinda cutsie and I don't know what the kitties and the teddy bear was about, and I cringed at that and the kid with the pig, but otherwise, it's full of animal pals and how wrong could that be? Great song):
Love,
Laurie
© 2019 Laurie MacMillan All rights reserved.