Friendships sometimes come and go.

This past week I attended the Celebration of Life of a dear friend from my “work church”.  One of the men that spoke reminded all in attendance to basically cherish and nurture friendships.

He said his only regret was that he had not been able to spend as much time with his friend Ike as he had wanted.  He looked out at the large gathering of friends and family and admonished us to make time for those relationships and those friendships which matter.

I had to agree with his words.  I took them to heart.

One of my goals this year was to “be” in the moment whatever that moment may be.  I have tried to be aware of others and of their needs.  I have tried to not let other things distract me when I am in the presence of a friend.  I have not always succeeded but I am trying.

I am learning how to be a better friend.  I have always been a good listener and being trained in social work helped hone those skills even more. I know that listening is a very important skill and one that is vital in a friendship.

I have been blessed with many friendships over the years.  Moving around a bit has enabled me to have a lot of really great friends in a lot of places.  It is fun to see how many friends I can reconnect with on social media over the years.

So when someone tells me at a service to make time for friendships I am encouraged and know that my drive to be a good friend is a good thing to pursue.  It is not time wasted.  It is time invested in both my own personal well being and in the well being of another.  As a woman I think friendships are the glue that hold us all together.

Everyone looks at friendships differently. Do you have a lot of friends or are you satisfied with just a few very close friends?  Do you make an effort to stay in touch?  Are you the one who makes the calls or the one who waits for the others to call you?  I would love to hear your thoughts on friendship in the comment section.

When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don’t stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven’t hoed,
And shout from where I am, What is it?
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.
Robert Frost