Friends...Thanks

Well, I was just pushing all the cobwebs from the many corners of my mind and thinking about good friends after talking with my friends Mark and Sally a few minutes ago and I got to thinking about where friends come from, how friendships are formed, and what makes a friend?

A few years back I ended a very long-term relationship with a certain great musician (still a favorite musician of mine) and I learned that all "our" friends weren't necessarily "our" friends anymore...if you know what I mean. Since he's a musician and they're musicians I learned that they weren't really there for me - just good time friends for the most part.

It was around that time I met Mark and Sally, for example. Good folks by all accounts. We were just acquaintances, really, and we met through music, too, but they stepped forward and helped pull me through some pretty tough times. I can't say why they did it, but I'm so grateful to them for all they did. Whenever I needed someone to talk to or be with they were there.

Over the years I've been privileged to know their kids and grandkids and even some of their other kin. I've been to weddings and dances and I don't know what all with them. They even included me in some of their weekly "family nights," real special occasions to me.

You know I love them more now than I did even back when they were bailing me out of all that heartache and pain.

You ever think about the folks you call friends? You ever have occasion to find out who your friends really are? I learned that the people who were there for me when I really needed them weren't necessarily the people I thought would be there (for whatever reasons) and certainly not the people for whom I'd done a lot. No the people who helped me through some bad times were people like Mark and Sally, Art and Mari, and a few others.

I'll never forget their kindness. It may happen that I won't get to repay the folks mentioned above for all their kindness. Yet it occurs to me that what just may happen is that there will be some near-stranger somewhere who really needs MY help NOW. It'll be my turn to repay the kindness that's been shown me over the years. It's one of those "pass it on," what goes around comes around kinds of things we need to do to keep the good stuff alive in this crazy world.

Anyway, here's to great friends like Mark and Sally. I love you guys. The world is still full of great people. I'm glad to have such wonderful friends.