Do you have one of those friends? You know; the one who would drop everything if you needed
her? I am blessed enough to have several of those. I’m not even sure how that happened. How
did I get so lucky? What causes people to just ‘click’ and become so important to the very
existence of each other? I don’t think I have the answer to that. Perhaps you do.
What I do know is that when I’m with my friends, I enjoy life. We appreciate each
other’s company and the stresses of the day can be left far behind. Not that every occasion is
good or funny. We’ve gone through accidents and illnesses together. We’ve been through deaths
and funerals, when it looked like the world was going to end. But it never has. Mostly because
we’ve had each other to lean on. We understand one another and we know what each one needs.
There’s a sisterhood among women that I cannot explain. It’s ancient and mystical and deeply
wound into the threads of our very being. Some of us recognize that. Those who will not or
cannot are very poor indeed. I’m not certain what causes this blindness to the amazing
connection that we as women can have. Jealousies, insecurities, lack of empathy. Fear? I don’t
know but I see it and, in some cases, have to deal with it in people who are close to me. I truly
feel sorry for them because they are missing so much.
I belong to a group – I won’t call it a club because it certainly is not that – made up of women from such diverse backgrounds, socioeconomic groups, educational levels, and personal interests that it sometimes boggles the mind. By most people’s thinking, we have very little, if anything, in common. Yet, we are all bound to each other because of shared interests and goals. We support each other during both good and bad times, during great celebrations and greater sadnesses. We revel in each other’s successes. Is this not the way it should be?
I’ve always said that a good friend is more valuable and important in one’s life than a significant
other. I am not being flippant and that is not said to diminish the value and love of a spouse.
Unfortunately, spouses come and go, whether by death or divorce or illness or a million other
things that cause separation, but a true friend will always be by your side. They are more
precious than rubies. Never take them for granted. For one day, they could be gone. And that
may well be the day the world ends.
Do you have a friend that you admire? What are the qualities you value most about her?
