“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” Anaïs Nin
Recently, I celebrated a friend. I celebrated her birth day and her death day. Mostly I celebrated our friendship. Susan touched my heart and soul. She awakened a dream. Together we created a new world for each other. We met at a pivotal moment in time where each of us was destined to serve the other. As fellow travelers on life’s soul journey, we were meant to cross paths.
Sometimes in life, we are given the experience of enjoying a life-long friendship; the golden ones that endure the test of time. But sometimes, we are not given that luxury of time. And then we learn that the value of friendship is not measured by the amount of days we spend with someone… it’s about how we spend our moments. Our physical time together was very short – just over a year -14 months. During that time, we experienced the changes – heat and cold, rain and rainbows, sunrise and sunset, moonlight and starshine. We celebrated birthdays and holidays. We laughed and cried together. We dreamed a future that never came to pass. We spoke every day and shared our hearts. Life’s precious moments. Our journey was not a simple, easy path. It was wild and untamed, filled with surprises. At times otherworldly. It was turbo-charged and traveled at warp speed. It was also spent in timeless silence as we surveyed our beloved mountain and became one with the earth. Oh dear friend, I miss you and wish you were still here with me to experience more of life!
Friendship matters. I know I don’t have to tell you that. Everyone knows that. You have friends. And you have lost friends. I think what I want to tell you is this…
Friendship is a choice we make. It’s a choice to love more. Some friendships are simple. Some are very complex. But all friendships are valuable. Sometimes we don’t make a conscious choice to become friends with someone; to begin a relationship. It happens. We accept it. As beings, we are not meant to be alone. We need others. Relationships help us to grow and become stronger, wiser, better. The joy of loving far outweighs the pain of loss.
Friendship is a gift of great value. Treat it with respect and great care. Give it your attention. Do it now. If it matters. Each friendship is an agreement. Honor the agreements or negotiate new ones. We make a pact to be together to share in the experience of life. We support each other. We challenge each other. We disappoint one another. We bring joy to each other. We bear witness. Life is not meant to be a solitary experience. Each one of us is an important part of the tribe of humanity.
A friend opens up new worlds. You get to experience life from their unique perspective and understanding. You taste new flavors. Friends spice things up. You hear the music of a different soundtrack and learn to dance to a different beat. You can adopt or reject the new but you can never become unaware of its existence. You have been changed just by the exposure to it. When you are fortunate enough to experience a life-long friendship, you gain more. You learn from the choices you see your friends make. You gain another source of wisdom and a trusted advisor.
Muhammad Ali said “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.” May you experience new worlds and celebrate the friends in your life!