Friendships

“Oh the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are -- chaff and grain together -- certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away…” -- Elizabeth Barrett Browning


Friendship, what is its value to us? How do we determine who our friends are and how much of our lives are theirs to share? Who do we confide in? What are we willing share? How does that change as time goes on? How many friends are enough? What makes us separate and move away from each other?

I have been contemplating these questions for some time now...It seems as if there is a cycle to friendships. (see blog: "A Reason, A Season or A Lifetime" 10/07).

I value my friendships. Some have been started through school, through work, through other friends. I have had a few best friends in my lifetime. One of my best friends was when I moved back to Utah in 1979. She lived just west of my grandmother and that is how I met her. We became fast friends and I was her maid of honor when she got married. We drifted apart after that...I can't really say why, I have an idea or two. My other best friend has been recently. But things changed last year, I know exactly when and why it changed, but there wasn't any way to prevent it. I tried talking to her about it and all it did was make her defensive and obviously I was the only one with a problem!

I have learned the hard way that you really can't go back. I have tried to go back and rectify the things that went wrong, or at least what I thought I had done wrong. I have apologized, but some things just can't be fixed...sometimes you just have to let go (see blog: "Let It Go" 10/07) and move on...and if we keep looking back we miss all the blessings and new oportunities that are right in front of us.