Friendship

              Last week the Ruth Circle of our church met and we discussed personal relationships, how they are formed, how they mature, and how a loving friendship is a gift from God.  This reminded of the value of being a friend and having a friend.  A British newspaper once offered a prize for the best definition of a friend.  Thousands of entries were submitted.  Here are just a few: “One who multiplies joy, divides grief and whose honesty is unbreakable.” “One who understands our silence.” “A volume of sympathy bound in cloth. “  “A watch that beats for all time and never runs down.” The winning definition: “A friends is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.”

              No doubt, all of you know someone you consider a good friend.  Think of that person for a minute as I relate a beautiful definition of friendship I found written by an anonymous author. “Friendship is a feeling of comfort and emotional safety with a person.  It is where you do not have to weight your thoughts or measure your words before speaking them in front of your friend. It’s when someone knows you better than you know yourself and promises to be at your side in every emotional crisis.  Friendship is much beyond roaming together and sharing good moments.  It is when someone comes to rescue you from the worst phase of your life.  Friendship is eternal.”    

              My friendship story:  In the late 60s, my mom lost her second husband because of cancer.  I had flown to Southern California to help her with the arrangements involved because of his passing.  Ready to come home, I called Pete to tell him my flight number and the time of my arrival home so he could pick me up.

              “I’m sorry, Kay,” he said, “but I can’t come get your tomorrow.  Art’s church people got together last night and they have split.  I have got to get him out of town for a day.”

              Art and Pete were truly good friends.  They both shared being preachers and they had attended seminary together; they took golf trips together; they both loved to play Bridge.  In short, they had a deep regard for each other; thus, Pete knew he had to step in to be with Art when his “whole world had gone out.”

              I knew better than to question this, so I delayed flight home for a couple of days.  But I was stuck in California, in my mother’s way, and she had to entertain me.  What to do? We decided to go to Disney Land.

              Now my mother and I were not always the best of friends.  As her first born, I had given her some grief over the years, which I regret.  So, I will never forget that day.  We acted like a couple of kids, bought crazy hats and feasted on the worst unhealthy food.  We took as many rides as we could get on, and laughed together all day.  That day is one of my most pleasant memories of my mother – all because Pete and Art were such good friends.

              Their friendship remained solid over the years.  When Pete died, Art sent me a card in which he wrote, “I know Pete is putting on those heavenly greens.”  What a neat thought.