My mom used to have a plate on the wall with this verse:
True friends are like diamonds
Precious and rare.
False friends are like autumn leaves
Found everywhere.
Ain’t it the truth!
I’m sure we’ve all had the experience of finding out people you thought were your friends…weren’t. Sometimes it’s that old knife in the back deal, or maybe times get tough and people you thought you could depend on disappear, and other times it’s more innocuous, just a drifting apart and away.
But then there’s the real McCoy. These gems are the friends you’ve discovered along the path of life, people you may not hear from for long stretches, but remain a thought away, ready to help in any way they can when you need it.
Those kind of friends are, to mimic a MasterCard commercial, priceless.
I’ve been fortunate to meet some pretty amazing people as we hop scotched around the country in my younger years. Here are some of the diamonds in my life, people that have been my friends for years (listed in alphabetical order – I sure don’t want to try to figure out who’s the best of the best!) --
* Ann
Friendship is a sheltering tree. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
We meet when Ann was expecting her youngest child and both our husbands were working for the same company. We discovered a mutual passion for farming, food coops, reading, and many other things. During a difficult divorce, she was my rock, frequently checking in on me by phone. She’s a class act, and one very special lady.
* Joan
Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.- Anais Nin
Joan and I met on an email list about goats. Yes, goats. We also both love to read, and have many other things in common. She has a fantastic sense of humor, a great philosophy on life, and we both know what it is to deal with chronic neuralgias of different sorts. We commiserate together; we laugh together! An email from Joan is always a special treat.
* Kieren
Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness of existence. - -Sydney Smith
One of my newer friends, we met on the Rest Ministries penpal list. We both have fibromyalgia, so understand a lot about what the other deals with every day. Though she lives in England, the magic of email allows us to communicate whenever we feel like it.
* Linda
Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend. ~Plautus
We lived in Iowa twice. Long story. In that time Linda became a great friend. She carries the joy of the Lord in her heart and it’s always good to hear from her. She has a way of lifting your spirits.
* Robin
There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound. ~Diana Cortes
It’s a long way to Maine, but that’s never mattered. Through years of talking about homesteads and sustainable agriculture, friends and family, helping her moderate a couple of email lists, and having her as an editor for some writing work, Robin has remained a steady friend. She’s one talented lady! Although we’ve never met face to face, our hearts know each other.
* RR
If a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it. ~Edgar Watson Howe
That’s just the kind of thing this special friend does. She surprises people with flowers and other produce from her garden. She bakes bread and shares it and other goodies from her kitchen. She lends help when it’s needed. She even makes aprons! When I moved to this area, I asked the Lord to give me a friend who was a kindred spirit. Did he ever answer that prayer! Friends and cohorts in mischief, it’s a dangerous thing when we get together. There’s no telling what might happen!
* Sonia
Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man's counsel is sweet to his friend. – Proverbs 27:9
Back in another life, we met when both our husbands were attending seminary in Pennsylvania. We were also pregnant at the same time, me for Jonathan, her for their oldest son, Ryan. She and her husband are in South Africa with Ambassadors International Ministries, doing work to combat the AIDS epidemic. Distance and changes in our lives haven’t altered the fact we’re good friends. Sonia is a fountain of good advice, encouragement, and helping me remember there are other people in this world who desperately need our help. She's one of the nicest people you could meet - outgoing, not shy!
I have other friends, of course, but this group has stood the test of time. So today I say to this great group of friends:
True friends are like diamonds
Precious and rare.
False friends are like autumn leaves
Found everywhere.
Ain’t it the truth!
I’m sure we’ve all had the experience of finding out people you thought were your friends…weren’t. Sometimes it’s that old knife in the back deal, or maybe times get tough and people you thought you could depend on disappear, and other times it’s more innocuous, just a drifting apart and away.
But then there’s the real McCoy. These gems are the friends you’ve discovered along the path of life, people you may not hear from for long stretches, but remain a thought away, ready to help in any way they can when you need it.
Those kind of friends are, to mimic a MasterCard commercial, priceless.
I’ve been fortunate to meet some pretty amazing people as we hop scotched around the country in my younger years. Here are some of the diamonds in my life, people that have been my friends for years (listed in alphabetical order – I sure don’t want to try to figure out who’s the best of the best!) --
* Ann
Friendship is a sheltering tree. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
We meet when Ann was expecting her youngest child and both our husbands were working for the same company. We discovered a mutual passion for farming, food coops, reading, and many other things. During a difficult divorce, she was my rock, frequently checking in on me by phone. She’s a class act, and one very special lady.
* Joan
Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.- Anais Nin
Joan and I met on an email list about goats. Yes, goats. We also both love to read, and have many other things in common. She has a fantastic sense of humor, a great philosophy on life, and we both know what it is to deal with chronic neuralgias of different sorts. We commiserate together; we laugh together! An email from Joan is always a special treat.
* Kieren
Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness of existence. - -Sydney Smith
One of my newer friends, we met on the Rest Ministries penpal list. We both have fibromyalgia, so understand a lot about what the other deals with every day. Though she lives in England, the magic of email allows us to communicate whenever we feel like it.
* Linda
Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend. ~Plautus
We lived in Iowa twice. Long story. In that time Linda became a great friend. She carries the joy of the Lord in her heart and it’s always good to hear from her. She has a way of lifting your spirits.
* Robin
There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound. ~Diana Cortes
It’s a long way to Maine, but that’s never mattered. Through years of talking about homesteads and sustainable agriculture, friends and family, helping her moderate a couple of email lists, and having her as an editor for some writing work, Robin has remained a steady friend. She’s one talented lady! Although we’ve never met face to face, our hearts know each other.
* RR
If a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it. ~Edgar Watson Howe
That’s just the kind of thing this special friend does. She surprises people with flowers and other produce from her garden. She bakes bread and shares it and other goodies from her kitchen. She lends help when it’s needed. She even makes aprons! When I moved to this area, I asked the Lord to give me a friend who was a kindred spirit. Did he ever answer that prayer! Friends and cohorts in mischief, it’s a dangerous thing when we get together. There’s no telling what might happen!
* Sonia
Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man's counsel is sweet to his friend. – Proverbs 27:9
Back in another life, we met when both our husbands were attending seminary in Pennsylvania. We were also pregnant at the same time, me for Jonathan, her for their oldest son, Ryan. She and her husband are in South Africa with Ambassadors International Ministries, doing work to combat the AIDS epidemic. Distance and changes in our lives haven’t altered the fact we’re good friends. Sonia is a fountain of good advice, encouragement, and helping me remember there are other people in this world who desperately need our help. She's one of the nicest people you could meet - outgoing, not shy!
I have other friends, of course, but this group has stood the test of time. So today I say to this great group of friends:
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
THANK YOU
for being a diamond of a friend!
2 comments:
ohhhhh Thank you! We haven't met face to face YET! We've been friends for well over a decade now. It's amazing that so much time has passed without us aging.
What a wonderful tribute. Thank you. You will always be a blessing to me.
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