“The most beautiful qualify of friendship is to understand and to be understood.”
Attending memorial services for an acquaintance of six decades reminded about the importance of friends.
While there are many kinds of friendships all have special meaning in their own unique way.
From an early age first realization of friendship is the immediate family. They are automatically looked to for respect, security, assistance, guidance and confidence all developing friendship.
Upon starting school new friendships are formed almost immediately yet different than that of kinfolks. Youthful camaraderie is often tied to each other’s interests, thoughts and experiences developing sense of belongingness and connection. Those who want to be cowboys soon chum up with those who want to be cowboys. That might even go to the extent of secretly trading toy cap pistols during morning rug naptime.
Adult and youth friendships develop during juvenile years when those seniors acknowledge the younger generation. As a grocery store carryout boy who made twice-a-day home deliveries customers became cherished friends. Mutual admiration, respect and appreciation would truly last forever.
While becoming friends with all classmates through school years, individual friendships tighten according to various calls of life. Cowboy and farmer types enjoy being together and doing things of like interests compared to those with different concentrations.
More broad scale friendships grow during college years as acquaintances are made from larger areas of the state and nationwide. While friends with local ties from earlier years remain, it is those of maturity which become most steadfast.
Once into professional life majority of the friendships will continue despite far less personal contact of any sort. Yet when there is time together even if a letter, phone call or email nowadays, mutual admiration remains. Customers often become the best of friends too as they are treated exactly as expected to be regarded personally.
Friendship is admiration, respect, trust and perhaps most importantly emotional and instrumental support yet requiring intention, time and effort.
Best friends are for sharing all matters from the happiest to the most sorrowful. Confidants to seek advice, provide needs, share suggestions, and understand each other.
Losing a friend into eternity seems unbearable although friendship never ceases. There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.
Reminded of Proverbs 17:17: “A friend loves at all times.”
+++ALLELUIA+++
XIV–45–11-8-2020