An Unexpected Friend

Friends. It became very clear to me recently how we all need friends. It's good to have friends on the Internet, I enjoy them. I know you do too but it became clear to me how important it is to have friends nearby - friends you see, friends you call, friends who call you.

Recently someone I didn't know, a neighbor, someone who lived in the same building I live in came calling by accident. She was in the middle of a medical crisis.

I helped her, I did what I could. I'm not a medical person but with the help of others who work here in the building and came to help her and the fire department and the paramedics she felt better.

While we were waiting though for everyone to come and help her I was very conscious of how we were in that moment friends. It's as if we'd known each other our whole lifetime because she was speaking about many things, sometimes all at once the way we do when we're frightened and upset and the sound of our own voice is reassuring.

Now and then she'd pause and I'd tell her how happy I was that she came to see me because where I live you see, there's not that many people at home but she just happened to come at a time when I was there and being in desperate straits as she was it was a gift. And I don't just mean that I was a gift for her because I was there for her, it was a gift for me because she reminded me how important friends are and how important people are even when you haven't met - to be friendly, to be supportive and to do what you can.

Call a friend this weekend. If it's someone that likes you just the way you are and someone that you like just the way they are that's even better but if you don't know anybody like that then call someone you do know just to remind yourself you have friends.

Do you forget about that sometimes? It's easy to forget about that isn't it. And if a friend calls even if they just want to talk and they want you to listen it's alright because we're really meant, very often aren't we, to be lights in the night, islands at sea and all the other metaphors which are so true at times when they are a matter of life and death and at other times as well.

Forgive me for being reflective but it came very clear to me that this ladies visit reminded me to call friends which I did do and family and I called my sister.

Think about doing that yourself. It's not just because you'll never know when you'll need them, it's also because you never know when they'll need you and it might remind you of something you need, want or value.

Goodlife to you all and goodnight.

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Photo is © B. Kim Barnes, used with permission, and can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimbar/3494141086/