Of Friends and Paint

Cervantes once said, "Tell me what company thou keepest and I'll tell thee who thou art." 

Emerson quoth, "A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere.  Before him, I may think aloud.  A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature."

And Thoreau states, "The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend.  I have no wealth to bestow on him.  If he knows that I am happy in loving him, he will want no other reward.  Is not friendship divine in this?"

Friendship.  That words definitely brings up many mixed emotions for all people.  Some memories are sweet, some are sour.  There are friends who reach out and permanently leave their sweet handprint on your life, patiently listening and loving you through your successes, faults and failures.  Those are definitely difficult friends to find, but when life hands you such a friend, there is no doubt that God is infinitely full of goodness.  

Let me explain it like this.  I love to garden.  I grow flowers and veggies and our entire family enjoys their wonderful benefits.  When I go out on a summer morning to weed, especially in the spring, I have to weed carefully b/c there are weeds in the garden that will imitate the flower plants, as if they are trying to fool the weeder into not plucking them.  There have been summers where I have nurtured a plant that I thought was a flower, only to be chagrined to find that it was a weed after all.  I think that friendships can be like this.  Sometimes you have to carefully sort through the weeds in order to recognize that flower of a friend.  The person that will bring out the best in you, that you can trust....that person that demonstrates character, loyalty and encouragement.  The Bible states that, "a friend loveth at all times..."  good and bad.

I recently reconnected with an old friend.  I must say that I was nervous reconnecting with her, but our time together has been so full of sweet fellowship and we, oh joy,  have been painting together!  (that is like winning the super-wonderful-added-bonus round in friendships....lol)

So, if you're reading this post, friend.....thanks....you have been and are a blessing to me.  For everyone else, be loyal to your friends, be honest with them, love them through their faults and forgive them.  Don't throw away friends as if they don't matter and maybe take a moment to let your friend know how much you value them.

True friends really are the flowers of life.  Don't let them wilt.  

To my two other "sisters"......I love you both!  I can't even begin to tell you how rich my life is b/c of you!