Truth- What do you value most in a friend? Are you that to your friends?
Dare- widen your circle. Start a conversation with a stranger who would normally make you feel uncomfortable.
I think I’ll just talk about friendship.
Yesterday morning (and nearly every morning) I take my 11-month-old giant Schnauzer Lucy for a long walk in the forest. It is springtime. Yesterday we saw a lot of wildlife. We saw mice, birds, squirrels and even a very large deer. Luckily Lucy was distracted and didn’t see the deer. She would have chased it.
My dog Lucy is fiercely loyal. When we are home together she will not leave my side. She will listen to me go on and on for hours. I’m certain all my grief over the past year (because I lost my dad) would have taxed even my best friends. But Lucy will listen without judgment. She only has acceptance and compassion. And Lucy makes me walk. I never took time for important stuff like exercise. I never took a time to care for myself. I was always way to busy taking care of everyone else. But rain, snow and sun, we get outside and walk.
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| Lucy |
I have many friends. None of them are everything to me at all times. Not even Jürgen, my very best friend is everything at all times. My friends fail me and I fail them too. I may try, but I often disappoint. I am a human and terribly flawed. To love is to expose yourself to the risk of loss. It is a privilege to have friends. You cannot demand friendship. You can only be grateful to find people who know you with all your strengths and weaknesses, yet still choose to care. I’m grateful for all the friends I have. But I am even more grateful for the love of God. He knows me and loves me. I’m so grateful that there is no place I can go to hide from his love (Psalms 139). And while I fail, he never does. Sorry this is so serious.
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| Road trip to Italy |
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| Jet lag |
The reality is laughter is one of the things I value most in my friends. My friend Cindy makes me laugh. Jürgen can always tell when I’m on the phone with Cindy. I laugh until I cry. My brother Rick and my sisters Shelley and Dianna also make me laugh. There is something so wonderful about people who have known you forever. There is no need to perform. No need to impress. Just rest and laughter. About a year ago I was in Oregon. My dad was brought into the emergency room. It looked like he had a heart attack. They were evaluating him. I sat in the hospital waiting room with my brother in law Eric and my two sisters. I think it was 3am. We were all so tired and afraid. The TV was on and there were infomercials about love songs from the 70’s and 80’s. It was a very serious time. We knew dad was not going to live much longer. He actually died about 12 weeks later. But I’ll never forget sitting with my sisters laughing about the hooky commercial on the TV. Maybe you think that was wrong, but for me it was exactly right. Life can be very hard, friends lighten your spirit. They bring you to laughter. I’m not a perfect friend, but I’m grateful to be accepted anyway. So grateful.
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| Cindy and I with other housemates in 1985 |