This African proverb offers sage advice. There are blessings in this life that money just can’t buy.  Friendship is one of them!

Little did I know when I introduced myself to a co-worker way back in 1973 that I had just met my best friend for life. Today – more than forty years later – Liz and I are still BFFs. When I count my blessings, I absolutely count Liz twice! We have shared interests, shared values and shared goals. Liz has been with me “through thick and thin” and has never, ever let me down. God bless Liz…

Looking back into my childhood, Sheila was my best friend. Sheila and I together rode her dappled pony Prince through our rural “neighborhood.” Bareback, no helmets, often no shoes, our hair blowing in the wind. Boy, did we have a good time!

Friendships most often come to us through serendipity. We meet someone, strike up a conversation, recognize some commonality, make a few plans, and then a friendship starts to grow. Do all of our friendships last forever? Absolutely not. For a variety of reasons some valued friendships fade and are in dire need of nurturing and reconnection. (That sounds like a great goal to me!) Others were simply good while they lasted – perhaps meeting mutual needs for a time or a season – but not destined for the long term. And that’s okay.

Each and every day we have an opportunity to make a new friend. Being open to that possibility – and that continued serendipity – is paramount. “Back in the day” we generally met friends through face-to-face encounters.  Today we can meet friends with the help of technology…and they can be anywhere in this big world! How great is that?!

Friends make our lives richer, more meaningful, and happier. They can give us an opportunity to see life from a different perspective. They share our joys, share our sorrows and lift us up when we need it most.

Yes, we would be well-advised to hold a true friend with both our hands!

Would you agree?

♥