on friendship
A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand. Is not the mountain far more awe-inspiring and more clearly visible to one passing through the valley than to those who inhabit the mountain?Kahlil Gibran
one day, about a year and a half ago, i walked into a coffee shop and when i left i knew i had made a friend for life. our hours together felt at once suspended in time and fleeting; the stories we shared brought each other the gift of smiling. cards in the mail or scones in the mailbox were worth more than their weight in the most precious metal. there was a sense of sharing the present, and the future, as we learned about each other's pasts. excitedly talking about dreams of coffee shops, bakeries, or book stores, we were simply two ladies sharing a cup of coffee, a lunch, or, simply, time.
i laughed as she moved quickly up hills on walks together, shared in a bit of low stamina, and climbed into our cars with feet covered in morning dew.
we saw one another in waiting rooms, anxious for scans or drugs, accompanied by people most important to us. we had this in common, but it was not what made us friends.
what made us friends was that unspoken thing, that singular item so hard to put your finger on. it is as if we were put here for one another, just when we needed each other most - not for dealing with that one part of us, but for finding more joy in already joyful lives. for learning and growing as people. for bringing just that much more light into each day. for sharing each success and leaning on one another in failure.
i miss her each day, but i know i learned so much from her; i carry her calm and her smile with me, wherever i go. they are gifts i'm honored to have received. to share in someone's life is humbling and beautiful. i am amazed, awed, by her. mostly, though, i am glad to call her friend.
i laughed as she moved quickly up hills on walks together, shared in a bit of low stamina, and climbed into our cars with feet covered in morning dew.
we saw one another in waiting rooms, anxious for scans or drugs, accompanied by people most important to us. we had this in common, but it was not what made us friends.
what made us friends was that unspoken thing, that singular item so hard to put your finger on. it is as if we were put here for one another, just when we needed each other most - not for dealing with that one part of us, but for finding more joy in already joyful lives. for learning and growing as people. for bringing just that much more light into each day. for sharing each success and leaning on one another in failure.
i miss her each day, but i know i learned so much from her; i carry her calm and her smile with me, wherever i go. they are gifts i'm honored to have received. to share in someone's life is humbling and beautiful. i am amazed, awed, by her. mostly, though, i am glad to call her friend.
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