The Power of Friendship

What hasn't already been said about friendship? It is the center of my life: friendship with God, with family, with friends, with animals, with the earth. It seems strange that the Holy Bible says very little "about" friendship; yet models it in countless ways-- David and Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi, Joseph and Benjamin, Mary and Elizabeth, Jesus and John, Paul and Barnabas, to name a few. Of course there are many married couples, too, but no one tells us if they were really friends. :)

I'm thinking about this today because two close friends are going through some very hard times. And another is preoccupied with important work that keeps us a bit apart. Each of these relationships has gone through various phases and almost like the tide, they flow back and forth, sometimes intense, sometimes more distant, but always there to be counted on, to marvel over, to cherish. My best friend ever was Norris, not only because he knew me better than anyone and still loved me (a miracle right there!), but because he was able to ebb and flow and almost always could be relied on when it really counted. Turns out the same was true from me. Me, whose heart could always expand to contain one more person, in the end could also focus in on the one who mattered most--my partner.

The hardest part is maintenance. There really is a limit to how many relationships can be kept rich and nourishing simultaneously. Most people are wise enough to let things fall into place naturally. Me, not so much. OK, so we shared an exquisite time together at a retreat 23 years ago. Does that mean that we must stay actively connected forever? I trust the network of spirits connecting; I know we will always somehow be part of one another. Yet sometimes I grasp at friendships in an addictive manner--never content, never having enough. At the same time, I can count my really close friendships on one hand; well, maybe two hands. No answers here, really. Just gratitude for each and every encounter. And deep prayer for those of you who are suffering more than usual these days. Friendship! You can count on it.