The importance of friends.

In my experience, really special friends are a rare blessing in life. There are so many different levels of friendships, but the deepest and closest ones are the most cherished and enduring. People are continually coming in and out of our lives. Each one touches us and we are forever changed. Through every encounter, whether brief or lengthy, good or bad, we grow just a bit more and have something new to offer those whose lives we touch.

When I met my best friend several years ago, from the first moment it felt like I had found my long lost sibling. My life has been so much richer through knowing and loving my soul sister. My only sadness is that we live hundreds of miles apart. But when I connect with her, I feel as though we were never separated.

There are others in my life, some new and some old, with whom I have shared an instant connection. They are held near and dear to my heart. These are the friendships worth fighting for. But to use the analogy of a gardener tending to her beautiful flowers, she must water and nurture and regularly care for them. Friendships work the same way. If we allow ourselves to get wrapped up in the busyness of life, neglecting those we care about, we will begin to drift apart and the friendship will wither. It happens ever so slowly in the beginning, but if left unattended, we are carried apart as if caught in a rip current.

If there are people from your past with whom you long to reconnect, have the courage to reach out to them today. Life is brief and there might not be a tomorrow you can afford to wait on. Treat your friends like the precious gifts they are and appreciate the richness each one brings to your life. You would not be who are today if you had not touched each other’s lives yesterday.

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Thank you for reading and be well.