This article came across my email this past week. Even though I had seen it before, it struck closer to home this time because of several events that have happened in our lives this past year. I wanted to share it with all of you. I hope your Labor Day weekend was one of time spent with those you love…either family or friends or BOTH! Happy September to you.
Never Forget Your Friends
(author unknown)
As he talked about adult life, marriage, responsibilities, and obligations, the father thoughtfully stirred the ice cubes in his glass and cast a clear, sober look at his son. “Never forget your friends”, he advised, “they will become more important as you get older. Regardless of how much you love your family and the children you may have, you will always need friends. Remember to go out with them occasionally (if possible), but keep in contact with them somehow.”
“What strange advice!” thought the young man. “I just entered the married world. I am an adult, and surely my wife and the family that we will start will be everything I need to make sense of my life.” Yet, he obeyed his father, kept in touch with his friends and annually increased their number.
Over the years, he became aware that his father knew what he was talking about. In as much as time and nature carry out their designs and mysteries on a person, friends are the bulwarks of our life.
After 70 years of life, here is what he, I, and you have learned:
Time passes.
Life goes on.
Children grow up.
Children cease to be children and become independent. And to the parents, it breaks their hearts sometimes, but the children are separated from the parents because they begin their own families.
Jobs / careers come and go.
Illusions, desires, attraction, sex…..weakens.
People can’t do what they did physically when they were young. Parents die, but you keep moving on.
Colleagues forget the favors you did.
The race to achieve slows.
But true friends are always there, no matter how long or how many miles away they are. A friend is never more distant than the reach of a need, intervening in your favor, waiting for you with open arms or in some way blessing your life.
When we started this adventure called LIFE, we did not know of the incredible joys or sorrows that were ahead.
We did not know how much we would need from each other.
Love your parents, take care of your children, but keep a group of good friends.
Stay in touch with them, but do not impose your criteria.
I have a little pillow sitting in front of me right now, by our computer. It was a gift from one of my dearest friends, and it says, “ May our house always be too small to hold all of our friends”.
lbeerman68@gmail.com
