Friendship

It's not what we have in life, but who we have in our life that matters

I’m behind on posting this musing. It's been a really busy couple of weeks and I’ve felt pretty stressed. My mum was turning 80 and I wanted to do something special for her. I drove across the country seven hours to pick up her oldest friend to come and join the celebrations. My mum and her friend met early in their careers in the 1960s. This friend is the one in my prom walk illustration with my mum. Despite the different paths their lives have taken and the hundreds of miles between them, they have remained great friends. It has been lovely to hear them reminiscing, to see them laughing and encouraging one another. These types of friendships are beautiful. As the ancient Proverb says "Sweet friendship refreshes the soul"

My mum's birthday gave me the precious opportunity to get some time with some not-quite-so-old friends of mine (just dating back to the 1990s). As I was a bit overloaded and overwhelmed with an imminent house move (more on that soon) I reached out to them for help with putting on Mum's Tea Party. Like the cavalry, they arrived from miles away. They brought vintage crockery, flowers, and sandwich-making skills. Mum's celebration was a beautiful success. We all spent a relaxed evening remembering, joking, and catching up. It was a massive gulp of joy and so therapeutic.

I'm so grateful for and to these friends who change my world for the better.

Can you find a reason to reach out and connect with an old friend? How about sending a text to tell a friend how much you appreciate them? Let's celebrate friendship.