A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future,
and accepts you just the way you are.    –Unknown

These last weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about friendships and how important they are to us. Like almost everyone I know, I too have had a number of losses and challenges that have been quite difficult. I recently lost a very dear friend, Gwenn McCormick. He was a very special person in my life, and I will miss his company, wisdom, and kindness.

It’s amazing that at these critical times, friends seem to appear from out of nowhere to help us get through these losses. I’m very grateful to be blessed with supportive friends and family who have been there for me when I’ve really needed them.

In my lifetime, I’ve learned a great deal about true friendships. When we have friends, who are tried and true, we know we can share our failures and our successes, our tears and our laughter. We don’t have to worry if we will be misunderstood or disliked if we appear to be too powerful, too weak, too attractive, too unattractive, too smart, too simple, too successful, too much of a failure, too funny, too serious. Real friends allow each other to be completely themselves, to become the person they are meant to be.

Without a doubt, our genuine friends want the best for us, and they encourage us to pursue our dreams and find fulfillment in life. Over the years I’ve come to realize that quality friendships offer ongoing support, learning experiences, mirrors of truth, and a superb check and balance system. Real friends will tell us positive things if and when we deserve them but also will let us know when things aren’t quite right – when we might be messing up. These relationships can weather all kinds of differences, changes, craziness, and transformations. I believe a really good friend like my friend Gwenn is precious and valuable – a treasure.

For most of us, the company of such friends feels like healing balm; just being in each other’s presence can be enough. Experiencing this kind of caring gives us the courage to try new experiences and stretch our wings. Certainly, a healthy friendship helps us grow in every way. Yes, a true friendship is one of life’s extraordinary gifts. I call it a gift from God.

* Have you thought about who are your true friends that you can trust with your life?

* Have you thanked those friends and told them how much they mean to you?

Beloved Friend, you have given us the gift of Your friendship. And You have also blessed us with friendships here on earth, who help us when we lose a special friend. Help us to be good friends to one another, to ourselves, and to You. What a friend we have in You! Thank you for all these gifts. May we truly cherish them. Amen.

Joy Carol

www.joycarol.com