Love is a Day...With Friends

 Have you ever had a friend who made you laugh? Like, LAUGH? And not just one laugh but over and over? I’ve had a couple of them. They are the best. They lift your spirits and quite suddenly make life a joyful trip full of wonder.  You don’t have to go on a wild ride with them to experience the uplifting of a day out and about. They carry it in them with their sense of humor. And we get to draw from it.

Then there are the friends you can count on when you need them. They never say no when you are in a bind – unless they really can’t help it – and not because they are needy and can’t say no, but because they are trustworthy, faithful friends. They WANT to help you because they love you.

The quiet, gentle friends are just as lovely though. Sometimes they bring out the protector in us. Other times, they help us to remember that gentleness is a kind way to live.

And have you ever found that it doesn’t matter how much time has passed between visits with certain friends – one month or twenty years – you go back to the last time you were together and it’s like nothing has happened in the time lapse? There is just a lot more sharing to do, which is a happy thing. Sharing.

The point is – the person who took the time to write/carve out the words, “Love is a day at the beach with friends” (carved on a bench at the beach) had one half of the coin right. Whether your best friends are related or neighbors or coworkers or whoever, they become your family. Family has its ups and downs, but they are there when the days are sunny and when the days are rough. Take those days at the beach or playing cards or going for walks – and let them help you fly! Like birds in flocks, it’s safer, more fun, and we can create the most wonderful formations together. Be gentle, be kind, be funny, be alive; but mostly, be a friend. A real friend. That's the other side of the coin. Being a good friend before expecting others to be one to you.